Hornets Waive Malaki Branham

The Hornets have opened up a roster spot by waiving Malaki Branham, the team announced (via Twitter).

The 22-year-old combo guard was traded twice at last week’s deadline. He was sent from Washington to Dallas as part of the eight-player Anthony Davis deal, then was rerouted from the Mavericks to Charlotte in exchange for Tyus Jones.

Branham had a limited role with the Wizards this season, appearing in 28 games, all as a reserve. He averaged 4.6 points and 1.6 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per night with .473/.378/.824 shooting splits.

He’s earning a guaranteed $4,962,033 in the final year of his rookie contract, so the Hornets will be on the hook for the balance of that deal.

Branham was selected by San Antonio with the 20th pick in the 2022 draft after a strong freshman year at Ohio State. He was a part-time starter with the Spurs during his first two NBA seasons, but fell out of the rotation last year and was shipped to Washington in July.

The move gives Charlotte an open roster spot and a chance to explore the buyout market as part of its postseason push. The Hornets have won nine straight games and are currently 10th in the East.