Former Bucks guard Pat Connaughton waived by the Charlotte Hornets

For the second time in a calendar year, former Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton has been waived by the Charlotte Hornets.

But unlike in February when the Hornets quickly re-signed him for the rest of last season, his time is officially over in Charlotte.

The transaction comes as teams are setting their rosters ahead of the 2026-27 season, which begins Oct. 20.

Connaughton, 33, played only 42 games last season off the bench for a Hornets team that had a 25-win turnaround from the previous year and qualified for the NBA play-in as the No. 9 seed before falling just short of making the playoff field.

While his production on the court was limited in his 11th NBA season, Connaughton provided veteran leadership in the locker room to a young squad that surged in the second half of the season. His 7.1 minutes per game were the fewest since his rookie year and his 2.6 points were the fewest since his second year.

wishing you nothing but the best, @pconnaughton. 🫂 pic.twitter.com/nLnLLBAwIT

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 16, 2026

It came a year after Connaughton played in only 41 games in his final year with the Bucks, the fewest during his seven-year run in Milwaukee.

Connaughton was a key member off the bench for the Bucks during the championship season in 2021. He set a career-high in scoring at 9.9 points per game the next year.

During his time with the Bucks, he played in 440 games, averaged 6.8 points on 44.1% shooting, 76.0% on free throws and 35.5% on three pointers in 21.6 minutes.

In his final regular season game with the Bucks on April 13, 2025, Connaughton scored a career-high 43 points.

Connaughton was part of playoff teams every year he was in Milwaukee from 2018-25. He played in 73 playoff games with the Bucks.