TUESDAY, 12:04pm: The deal is official, the team announced.
MONDAY, 4:47pm: The Hornets will sign former first-round pick Elliot Williams to a training camp deal, a source tells Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link). Williams was with Charlotte on a 10-day contract this past season, but the team let him go to make room for Mo Williams, who’s since moved on to the Cavs. The terms of the deal aren’t immediately clear, but while Charlotte has its full $5.464MM mid-level exception available, it seems likely it will be a minimum-salary arrangement.
Elliot Williams reportedly worked out earlier this month for the Knicks and Spurs, but instead it appears he’s circling back to the Hornets, where GM Rich Cho is a familiar face from their time together with the Trail Blazers organization, Bonnell notes (on Twitter). The 22nd overall pick from 2010 has struggled to find his footing in the NBA, appearing last season only on a series of five 10-day contracts split between Charlotte, the Jazz and the Pelicans. The now 26-year-old shooting guard put up 2.8 points in 9.2 minutes per game across 13 appearances in 2014/15. He saw more extensive action in 2013/14 with the Sixers, with whom he put up 6.0 PPG in 17.3 MPG.
Charlotte had already been carrying 15 players, at least 13 of whom have fully guaranteed deals, as our Hornets roster page shows. Rookie Aaron Harrison, who’s on a deal that’s partially guaranteed for $75K, would seem Williams’ prime competitor for an opening-night roster spot.
What do you think of Williams’ chances to stick with the Hornets for the regular season? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
There’s a decent chance neither Williams nor Harrison will make the opening-day roster, but it stands to reason that Harrison would have an edge because he has more room to develop.
I disagree williams will beat out lin lamb harrison & jeremy lamb & b a big part of the team