Charlotte Hornets 2025-26 player grades: Pat Connaughton

Pat Connaughton‘s impact and energy last summer earned him a spot on Charlotte‘s roster for the 2025-26 season, now his third team throughout his 11-year career. While the former NBA champion didn’t add much to the box score, his veteran leadership and experience under head coach Charles Lee showed as the Hornets took a huge leap from a season ago.

On the year, Connaughton averaged 2.6 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.4 assists in 7.1 minutes per game. The former Notre Dame product shot over 40% from 3-point range for the second time in his career, although he only made 42 appearances. Taking into account his intangible value, Connaughton will be one of the tougher Hornets players to grade. That said, it’s clear to see he did his job in the locker room, as Charlotte’s organizational culture seems to have turned a page from what was quite a disappointing stretch.

This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Hornets 2025-26 player grades: Pat Connaughton