Charlotte Hornets Rule Out Two Players, Will Have Thin Frontcourt vs. Celtics

When the Charlotte Hornets lace them up tonight against the Boston Celtics, they will be a little thin in the frontcourt. Moments ago, the team announced that forwards Grant Williams (R Knee — Injury Management) and Tidjane Salaün (L Knee) have been ruled out.

Salaün's injury occurred with a minute and some change left in last night's contest against the Dallas Mavericks. He caught a pass in the paint and went up for a shot, was fouled in the air by Caleb Martin, and landed with his leg underneath him. Fortunately, Salaün was able to get up, walk around, and shoot the free throws before the Hornets intentionally fouled to get him out of the game. No further details have been released regarding the severity of the injury at this time.

As for Grant, he played 21 minutes in last night's game and will sit this one out for precautionary reasons. The Hornets' medical team has been extremely careful with his return to play, recommending that he not play in both legs of a back-to-back. He has been phenomenal in his role since his return, averaging 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 42% from the floor and 37% from three-point range.

What's the plan without Williams and Salaün?

Feb 19, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams (2) talks with a coach during pregame warm ups against the Houston Rockets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Expect some heavy minutes for Miles Bridges, first and foremost. This will likely need to be one of those games where he logs 35-38 minutes, which he has done more than a handful of times this season. The key for him and this team's chances to spring the upset tonight is to stay out of foul trouble. If he picks up a couple of quick ones early, it could be troublesome.

When Charles Lee goes to the bench, don't be surprised to see Sion James play some at the four. He's not your typical power forward by any means, but Lee has used him on bigs before because of his strength and physicality. They could also patch those minutes up by playing with a couple of bigs on the floor at the same time, be it Moussa Diabaté and Ryan Kalkbrenner or even Xavier Tillman Sr. here and there.

The Hornets did recall Tosan Evbuomwan from the Greensboro Swarm, so he will be available as well.

The Hornets and Celtics will throw the ball up in the air at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will be streamed live on FanDuel Sports Network Southeast and will air on Sports Radio WFNZ where Sam Farber will be on the call.