Hornets waives former 1st-round pick after Wizards trade

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Hornets waives former 1st-round pick after Wizards trade

Malik Brown · ClutchPoints

Mon, Feb 9, 2026 ·

2 min read

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The Charlotte Hornets are one of the hottest teams in the league right now, as they're currently on a nine-game winning streak. They also got better at the trade deadline, acquiring Coby White from the Chicago Bulls . There were also some other trades they made, as they were a part of a three-team trade with the Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards , in which they got Malaki Branham in return.

Days later, the Hornets made a decision on Branham, according to Brett Siegel of Clutch Points.

"The Hornets are waiving Malaki Branham," Siegel wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Branham averaged 8.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 17.8 minutes per game between the San Antonio Spurs and Wizards. He was selected by the Spurs with the 20th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and played with the team for three seasons before being traded to the Wizards.

It's uncertain if a team will pick him up from waivers, but if not, he'll be a free agent, and then he can decide where he wants to go.

The Hornets already have enough guards on the team, so it's no surprise they waived Branham, especially if he wasn't going to get any playing time. One of the reasons for their success over the past few weeks has been their guard play, as LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel have played well off of each other. Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges have also been holding it down in the frontcourt.

Now with Coby White coming off the bench, they'll have somebody who can score from anywhere on the court, and it'll only make them better.

The Hornets have found themselves in the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference, and there's a chance that they can make up even more ground in the standings if they continue their winning streak.

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