Since Mason Plumlee last played for the Denver Nuggets in the 2019-20 season, he's suited up for four different teams. He returned to Charlotte over the offseason on a one-year, $3.6 million deal after spending the 2024-25 season in Phoenix. Plumlee played in 74 games, including 21 starts, for the Suns last season, but so far this season, he's appeared in only 10 of the Hornets' 17 games.
His numbers are down, as he's averaging 1.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game for Charlotte in 9.4 minutes. Plumlee averaged 4.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game last season in Phoenix in 17.6 minutes. The fact that he is barely receiving playing time in Charlotte for a team that sits at the bottom of the East says a lot.
His second stint with the Hornets looks much different from his first during 2021-23. Plumlee started in every game he played for Charlotte in both seasons, 73 in 2021-22 and 56 in 2022-23. The Hornets traded him to the Clippers before the 2023 deadline, after he averaged 12.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.
Plumlee's numbers have steadily declined since he arrived in Los Angeles. It seemed like he could have a bit of a resurgence in Charlotte, especially after the Mark Williams trade. However, he's fallen out of the rotation, with rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner earning the starting center spot.
Mason Plumlee is out of the Hornets' rotation
Plumlee chose to return to Charlotte, believing in the direction that the Hornets were headed. He said before the season started that he thought the Hornets had a "really good roster" (subscription required) and that it was up to the team to prove that. That hasn't happened.
Charlotte isn't the 12th-worst team in the league because Plumlee has disappointed; more because Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball have struggled to stay healthy. A month ago, when Ball was preparing to return from an ankle injury, the Hornets assigned him and Plumlee to their G League team, the Greensboro Swarm. Plumlee was only there to help Ball get quality reps.
Maybe things will turn around for Plumlee in Charlotte, but considering where the Hornets are at now, and his lack of playing time, it doesn't seem like that will be the case. He did play in 22 minutes during Sunday's loss to Denver, though, finishing with four points, six rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 22 minutes, which was one of his better performances of the season. Again, that says a lot.
At 35 years old, it's not surprising that Plumlee's career is slowing down, but it is surprising that he's picking up DNPs with the Hornets.