Should Pat Connaughton make the Hornets opening night roster?

On Thursday, September 18th, the Charlotte Hornets awakened from their summer slumber and made a roster move, releasing guard DaQuan Jeffries.

It cuts the roster down to just 17 players, needing two more to be cut or traded before the start of the NBA's regular season just a short month away. The Hornets have had a busy offseason, but Jeffries and wing Josh Okogie are the only two players the team has released from the active roster.

With the team being required to find two players over the next few weeks, fans have begun to primarily circle two names: guard Nick Smith Jr, and wing Pat Connaughton.

The Hornets acquired Connaughton from the Milwaukee Bucks in July, where he spent the last seven years and won an NBA Championship in 2021. He averaged 6.8 points across 440 games with the team, shooting 35.5% from deep during this time.

His roster spot not being safe makes plenty of sense in regards to this current Hornets roster. He's 32 years old, making $9.4 million this season, and coming off arguably his worst season as a Buck. He only suited up in 41 games, playing 14.7 minutes, and averaging 5.3 points.

The team does need veterans, though. They are currently sitting with Mason Plumlee and Miles Bridges being the team's oldest players, one of which in Bridges never having played in the postseason.

Connaughton brings championship experience, and can be a mentor over rookies Kon Knueppel and Liam McNeeley. Connaughton has spent the last half decade carving out a low-usage, high-impact role. He's been able to learn how to stay on the court when his shot is not falling, something he can teach the two rookies.

His mentorship as a winner is something that's extremely important. The Hornets need winners in their transition to a new era, and Connaughton would be an excellent start.

At this point in his career as well, Pat does not need minutes to be productive. Last season, Taj Gibson came in and played 11.1 minutes across 37 games. It was clear the big man was in more of a mentorship role, something he excelled at last season with young bigs like Mark Williams and Moussa Diabate. In this similar role, Connaughton would have the chance to work with the rookies, and when needed, be a great corner shooter for LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.

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