Ryan Kalkbrenner Contract & Salary

Ryan Kalkbrenner is a C for the Charlotte Hornets, earning $2,411,090 in 2026-27. Contract runs through 2028-29 ($7,672,689 guaranteed). Flagged years: 2028-29 team option.

Updated · 2026-27 season

Ryan Kalkbrenner is on the books for $2,411,090 in 2026-27, the 14th largest cap hit on the Charlotte Hornets roster and 1.5% of the team's $161.7M payroll.

That ranks 389th among the 434 players with a 2026-27 salary on the books, and eats 1.5% of the $165.0M salary cap.

The deal has 3 seasons left on it, running through 2028-29, worth $7,672,689 in guaranteed money.

The money climbs as it goes: $2,411,090 in the first year up to $2,735,698 in the last, a 13% rise across the deal.

Not every year is locked in: 2028-29 team option.

The option year belongs to the team, which makes that season a decision point rather than a commitment: it can be picked up cheaply or declined outright.

At 24, the deal covers his age-24 through age-26 seasons — the prime years teams are usually paying a premium for.

He sits in the bottom third of the roster by salary, the part of the payroll teams use to fill out the depth chart without moving the cap needle.

He is one of 15 players on the Charlotte Hornets' books for 2026-27, whose 2026-27 salaries add up to $161,691,873.

Charlotte Hornets sit at $161.7M in payroll and are currently classified Over Cap, with +$37.5M of room below the first apron.

Ryan Kalkbrenner
C Charlotte Hornets · age 24
2026-27 Salary
$2.41M
% of Cap
1.5%
Years Remaining
3
Total Guaranteed
$7.67M
Contract by Season
SeasonSalary% of CapNote
2026-27$2,411,0901.5%
2027-28$2,525,9011.5%
2028-29$2,735,6981.7%team option
2029-30RFA / $3.1M—
2030-31——
Charlotte Hornets Cap Context
Team PayrollCap SpaceTax Room1st Apron Room2nd Apron Room
$161.7MOver cap by $5.8M+$29.4M+$37.5M+$50.2M
Highest-Paid Charlotte Hornets Teammates
PosPlayerAge2026-27% of Cap
PGCoby White26$26,811,59316.3%
CNaz Reid27$23,275,86214.1%
SGGrayson Allen31$18,125,00011.0%
SFBrandon Miller23$15,104,6269.2%
PGDennis Schröder33$14,809,2009.0%
PFGrant Williams27$14,265,7508.6%
Comparable 2026-27 Contracts
RankPlayerTeam2026-27vs Kalkbrenner
390Sion JamesCharlotte Hornets$2,411,090+$0
391Nae'Qwan TomlinCleveland Cavaliers$2,411,090+$0
392Tolu Smith IIIDetroit Pistons$2,411,090+$0
393Cam SpencerMemphis Grizzlies$2,411,090+$0
394Justin EdwardsPhiladelphia 76ers$2,411,090+$0