Hornets granted disabled player exception after Grant Williams' season-ending knee injury

The Hornets have been granted a disabled player exception in the wake of Grant Williams‘ season-ending knee injury, ESPN's Bobby Marks reports. The DPE, which is worth half of Williams’ 2024-25 salary, comes in at $6,512,625.

Sources tell Marks that the Pacers have also been granted two separate disabled player exceptions for big men Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman. Both players suffered torn Achilles tendons, which, as determined by an NBA-designated physician, will keep them sidelined through at least June 15.

Indiana’s DPEs will be worth $2,217,690.50 (for Jackson) and $1,118,845.50 (for Wiseman), 50% of each center’s ’24/25 salary.

The Hornets and Pacers will have until March 10 to use their new disabled player exceptions.

As Luke Adams explains in our glossary entry, a disabled player exception can only be used on a single player, but a team can use it in various ways — the DPE can be used to sign a free agent, claim a player off waivers or acquire a player in a trade.

A free agent signed using the DPE can only be offered a rest-of-season deal, while a player acquired via trade or waiver claim using the DPE must be in the final year of his contract. Essentially, the exception gives the team some flexibility to replace an injured player for the rest of the season but not beyond the current season.

However, the team must have room on its roster to sign the replacement player — the disabled player exception doesn’t allow the club to carry an extra man beyond the usual limits. Both Charlotte and Indiana have full rosters, but each club has a little flexibility, with players on non-guaranteed (or partially guaranteed) contracts.