Charlotte Hornets upgrade three players to available for Utah game

The Hornets have made several late tweaks to their injury report ahead of Saturday night's matchup against the Utah Jazz, and the updates skew positive for a team that's been juggling availability issues for much of the season.

Several hours before tipoff, the Hornets revealed that Ryan Kalkbrenner, Tidjane Salaun, and Grant Williams have all been upgraded to available.

Pat Connaughton was downgraded to questionable due to illness. Connaughton had not appeared on the initial injury report on Friday, and his downgrade represents the only negative change in the batch. Last night, the Hornets had listed Mason Plumlee as out due to groin surgery, while Kalkbrenner (elbow), Salaun (ankle), and Williams (knee) were all marked as probable.

Kalkbrenner and Salaun had both been trending in the right direction throughout the week, and their upgrades will give Charlotte additional front court depth against a usually sizable Utah roster that's dealing with its own injury issues currently.

INJURY UPDATE: @hornets have upgraded Ryan Kalkbrenner, Tidjane Salaun and Grant Williams to available.

Pat Connaughton (illness) has been downgraded to questionable https://t.co/ceGflr7YFm
— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) January 10, 2026

The most significant development, however, concerns Williams. The 27-year-old forward has not appeared in a game since November 2024, before undergoing knee surgery that sidelined him for more than a calendar year. He was listed as probable last night and his upgrade to available clears the final procedural hurdle for what projects to be his first regular season action in over 13 months.

Williams has been teasing his return through a Batman-themed Instagram countdown that lined up with the Utah trip, and his presence gives Charlotte an experienced, physical forward who can defend multiple positions and space the floor.

With three players upgraded and one late downgrade, Charlotte enters Saturday night healthier than anticipated, and with an intriguing storyline as Williams prepares to rejoin the rotation.

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