Grant Williams

Charles Lee Talks Hornets’ Offseason

August 15th, 2025 at 6:08pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Hornets have had a busy offseason.

They traded Jusuf Nurkic to the Jazz for Collin Sexton and a second-round pick and drafted Kon Knueppel, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Sion James, and Liam McNeeley, who was selected with a pick that came over after trading Mark Williams to the Suns. They also added Pat Connaughton, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Mason Plumlee, either via trade or free agency, and retained free agent Tre Mann.

After getting only 74 combined games out of franchise cornerstones LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, the latter of whom is nearly fully recovered from wrist surgery, they will also be hoping for some better health luck this season.

Head coach Charles Lee went on Charlotte sports radio station WFNZ to discuss the team’s moves, preview the rotation outlook, and provide some injury updates.

Lee talked about the addition of Sexton, what was attractive about him from Charlotte’s standpoint, and what he will bring to the team this season.

“[Hornets’ general manager Jeff Peterson] and his group, they’re just so well prepared,” Lee said. “… They understand what we need to do from a roster depth and balance standpoint, too. And I think, as they were approached with the situation, they broke it down, they prepared like they usually do, they chopped it up, and figured out what makes sense for our team going forward.

“I’ve been very excited about Collin Sexton joining our group. From afar, I’ve always witnessed him competing at a really high level. Since he’s been with our group and around our group, he’s elevated the intensity. He’s definitely a sociable and in-your-face type guy, but I love it. I think he’s going to add a lot to our group and our culture.”

When asked about the influx of guards to the roster, which now features Ball, Sexton, Knueppel, Mann, Dinwiddie, James, and Nick Smith Jr., Lee expressed excitement about the possibilities presented by having so many players capable of handling the ball.

“I think we had a pretty good roster last year, but this year we are definitely a little more versatile,” he said. “Having so many guards and so many competitors with high basketball IQ, it’s gonna help us be able to play in a lot of different ways. If we watch the league, everybody’s playing a lot faster, it’s becoming a lot more positionless, and so I think with this versatility that we have of our roster, having a lot more guards, having a lot more ball-handlers that can help us hopefully create some more open shots. I’m really excited to see how it all comes together.”

Charlotte’s center rotation in the wake of the Williams trade remains a question mark, but Lee seemed confident in the various looks the different big men can bring to the team.

“We can play a lot of different ways this year, having Plumlee, having Kalkbrenner, having [Moussa Diabate], it allows you to be in center field sometimes or be able to switch. It’s a good balance,” he said.

Specifically addressing the offseason addition of Plumlee, who is expected by some to begin the season as the starting center, Lee said the Hornets are getting a player with “a ton of experience” who understands what it takes to win.

“He’s been used as a starter, he’s been used as a role player coming off the bench. He’s going to be able to adapt to whatever we need, I think that he’s going to be able to give a lot of corporate knowledge of the NBA,” Lee said. “He’s a professional, he’s in every day, focused on his body, focused on improving in the weight room, and even however many years he’s been in the league now, he understands and has a growth mindset, which is really important, I think, for our group and being open minded.”

Lee went on to praise the two younger big men who will play alongside Plumlee too.

“I think Moussa had a phenomenal opportunity this summer,” Lee said. “He’s continued to grow, he’s one of our great success stories from a player development standpoint, and his all-in and commitment to trying to be better, try to be the most versatile and energetic big that he can possibly be. And we saw what Ryan brings in Summer League. I think he’s gonna be able to play both sides of the court at a really high level. I see a lot of Brook Lopez in him.”

Finally, Lee shared injury updates on Grant Williams, who has been rehabbing after tearing his right ACL and meniscus, and Josh Green, who underwent shoulder surgery this summer:

“I think both guys have been attacking their rehab plans really well. I always have to give credit to our performance staff and to our coaching staff. They work so well together in putting together these roadmaps for our guys to be able to return to play. Both guys are making really good progress.”

However, when it came to their respective returns to action, he stopped short of any definitive proclamations.

“I can’t put a timetable on it as of right now of when they’ll be back, but they are making positive strides, and I’m just really happy with how they show up every day, how they’re attacking their rehab,” Lee said. “You take a couple steps forward and then all of a sudden you might have a step back, but I think that their mindset has been not to let that slow them down, and they’re really focused on trying to be around the team and get back to the team as soon as they can.”

Hornets’ Grant Williams Talks Rehab, Offseason, Rookies, LaMelo, More

August 6th, 2025 at 5:35pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Veteran Hornets forward Grant Williams continues to rehabilitate from the major knee injury he suffered in November 2024, which included tears of his right ACL and meniscus.

In a conversation with Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, the 6’6″ Tennessee alum detailed his recovery while allowing that he isn’t fully healed just yet. He is not yet taking contact in his workouts.

“I feel great, physically just taking it one day at a time,” Williams told Boone. “Rehab is a pretty slow process. There can be good days and bad days, but fortunately, I’m in a position now where I’m getting back on the court in some capacity. Not necessarily there for contact yet, but in terms of (being) able to perform and work out, that’s something I think brings serenity — shooting the ball well, talk trash. So I’m trying to still find better shooters in the gym to compete against.”

Williams added that the Hornets are exercising plenty of patience as he works his way back to full health.

“They are not rushing me back,” Williams said. “They understand that there might be a little bit of time for me to get back and get my feet wet into the game. So, I’m thankful for not only the opportunity to have that freedom to come back and get comfortable and be myself again, but also for me, it’s a matter of making sure I can play for a long time, the health and longevity of my career to make sure I can help this team compete at a high level for a long couple of years.”

During his 16 healthy games for Charlotte in 2024/25, the 26-year-old averaged 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per night, with a shooting line of .439/.365/.838. He’s currently entering the third season of the four-year, fully guaranteed $53.3MM contract he signed in 2023.

While Williams could be a trade candidate by the 2026 deadline, he’ll likely need to prove he’s healthy and can still be a solid two-way contributor at around his former level in order to have real value as a trade chip.

Here are a few highlights from Williams’ conversation with Boone, which is well worth reading in full:

On the Hornets’ veteran offseason acquisitions:

“I feel like we got a lot more athletic, we added a lot more depth in terms of not only just top to bottom but position by position. We’ve got a lot more guards, a lot more scoring potential, a lot more fast play potential, We have bigs like Mason (Plumlee) and Moussa (Diabate) that can really run the floor. We have a guy like Ryan (Kalkbrenner) that can really protect the paint, also space the floor. I’ve seen him shoot it and he shoots it well. So, it’s just super exciting to have that versatility, in terms of the team.”

“And then in terms of the wings and guard play, we have so much more potency. We have Collin Sexton, Tre Mann, Josh Green when he gets healthy, myself when I get healthy. You have Miles (Bridges), Kon (Knueppel). Geez, you could go down the line with a lot of names that we can add, so we are just super excited not only about the scoring potential but the ability to compete at a high level every single night even when guys are out.”

On this year’s crop of Charlotte rookies:

“They honestly are some great individuals. They are very, very welcoming. They are very goofy also, I would say, but also they are young so they are fresh behind the ears. They don’t really know what’s coming, so just being able to communicate to them what to expect and what we want as an organization want to establish, in terms of our crucial pillars and how we want to play, how we want to communicate with one another. And really they’ve just been with open ears and been very, very open. They haven’t really shut anything down and I think they are approaching everything with the right approach going into the season.”

On All-Star guard LaMelo Ball‘s leadership:

“He’s doing a lot of things that bring value. Not only his voice, but just his approach. He’s in there every single day. He’s there and present and I think is somebody we can look to and see like, ‘He’s actually putting the work in every single day, not this person who is away from us and claims to be doing the work.’ No, he’s doing it every single day. He’s doing every single workout, he’s being available.”

On second-year head coach Charles Lee’s approach:

“He understands that it’s got to come down to the team. It’s not one person and understanding the value of having every person — from the top guy to the 17th, 18th guy on the roster. Each person is important, and he treats everybody as that and he treats them (that way) to not only bring out the best out of you, but bring the best out of the group. And I think that’s what comes from that team-first mentality, is understanding that even if it might not be your night that night, that doesn’t mean we lost any confidence in you.”

Fred VanVleet Elected New NBPA President

July 12th, 2025 at 7:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:00 pm: According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link), the other members of the Executive Committee are as follows:

Grant Williams, first vice president.
Mason Plumlee, secretary-treasurer.
Jaylen Brown, vice president.
Jaren Jackson Jr., vice president.
Donovan Mitchell, vice president.
Garrett Temple, vice president.
Karl-Anthony Towns, vice president.
Gabe Vincent, vice president.

6:01 pm: The National Basketball Players Association has elected Rockets guard Fred VanVleet as its new president, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). VanVleet will replace CJ McCollum and will serve a four-year term.

VanVleet, 31, has earned tremendous respect from his peers during his nine-year NBA career. He was one of the veteran players Ime Udoka brought in to help change the culture when he took over as head coach in Houston two years ago.

VanVleet was a beloved figure in Toronto before switching teams and played a vital role in bringing the city its only NBA title in 2019. He recently signed a two-year, $50MM deal to remain in Houston, and Charania notes that he has set several records for being the highest-paid undrafted player in league history (Twitter link).

With the expiration of his four-year term, McCollum will take on an advisory position with union, Charania adds. His time in office included a landmark Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2023 that introduced the two-apron system and ensures labor peace through the 2029/30 season.

Hornets Notes: Simpson, Wells, Salaün, Flagg, G. Williams

April 9th, 2025 at 12:06pm CST by Rory Maher

Hornets guard KJ Simpson took to social media (Twitter links) to profusely apologize to Jaylen Wells, who was taken off the court on a stretcher and sustained a broken right wrist after being fouled by Simpson while he was in the air going up for a dunk (YouTube link). Simpson was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul upon review.

“My prayers are with @jaylen_wells, I know we already spoke and are good friends bro but again I just wanted to express not only to J but to his family as well how deeply sorry I am,” Simpson wrote. “I would never purposely do that to anyone. I’m just extremely sorry.

“Especially with the talent J is. I know he’s gonna be special and just from the many times our paths have crossed I’m blessed to know he’s an even better person with an amazing story. I just wanted to again say sorry to J and his family I can’t say it enough.”

The Grizzlies wing accepted Simpson’s apologies, replying (via Twitter), “Much love brother. Thank you.”

Here’s more on the Hornets:

No. 6 overall pick Tidjane Salaün is wrapping up his first season with Charlotte. While the 19-year-old has struggled with efficiency during his rookie campaign, he has looked much more comfortable — and been more productive — since the start of March, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. The French forward says he wants to improve in multiple areas in the offseason. “I would like to continue to develop some winning habits,” Salaün said. “Get faster on defense, keep blocking out the player and on offense, play my game, try to develop my ball-handling, some good passes and keep the game simple. And be the most efficient. That’s it.”
Winning the draft lottery would give the Hornets the opportunity to select consensus top prospect Cooper Flagg, who just finished his freshman season at Duke. In a column for The Charlotte Observer, Scott Fowler explains why he thinks landing with the Hornets could be a good thing for Flagg, whose family lived in North Carolina while he was attending college. Instead of going to a team with a track record of success, Flagg could become an icon in the area if he’s able to help turn the Hornets into a winner, Fowler notes. Charlotte has the NBA’s longest postseason drought, last making the playoffs in 2016.
2024/25 has been a disappointing season for the Hornets, with injuries once again being a major issue. Forward Grant Williams, who tore the ACL in his right knee in November, says he’s making good progress in his recovery, according to Boone. “I’m feeling great, positive,” Williams told Boone. “That’s really the one word that I’ve tried to stay consistent with throughout this whole process. … The team, they are not rushing me. They are just focused on making sure I get better every single day and taking it one day at a time. I’m trying my best just to stay focused on the moment, and attacking every single little thing with the right mentality and come back stronger than I was before.”

Suns, Hornets Have Discussed Nick Richards, Jusuf Nurkic

January 12th, 2025 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns and Hornets have had discussions about the idea of a trade that would send Jusuf Nurkic and draft capital to Charlotte and Nick Richards to Phoenix, confirms John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter links). The talks, described as “ongoing” by Gambadoro, were first reported by Evan Sidery of Forbes (Twitter link), who referred to them as “preliminary.”

Nurkic has fallen out of the rotation in Phoenix. After serving as the Suns’ starting center for most of the season, he came off the bench on Monday and Tuesday, then was a DNP-CD in Thursday’s and Saturday’s games. The veteran big man is known to be on the trade block, but his $18.13MM salary this season and a guaranteed $19.38MM salary for next season will make it difficult to move him.

Richards is a younger, more versatile center whose contract is also far more team-friendly than Nurkic’s — the Hornets’ big man is owed $5MM this season and another $5MM in 2025/26. He has averaged 9.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 21.2 minutes per game through 20 games this season.

Given the disparity between the two players’ salaries, the Hornets would have to send out at least one more player (earning at least $5.63MM) to make a trade legal. The Suns would likely prefer Cody Martin ($8.12MM), a versatile wing who is having a solid bounce-back year after a couple injury-plagued seasons, while Charlotte may want to include veteran point guard Vasilije Micic ($7.72MM), the former EuroLeague MVP who has struggled with his shot since making the move to the NBA in 2023.

Both Martin and Micic have one more year of team control beyond this season, but neither player’s 2025/26 salary is guaranteed at this point. The same goes for Richards.

The Suns, who are facing second-apron restrictions, could also legally acquire Grant Williams ($13.03MM) or Josh Green ($12.65MM) along with Richards in exchange for Nurkic, though Williams is out for the season following knee surgery. Both he and Green have two more guaranteed years on their contracts after this season.

Phoenix currently has three tradable second-round picks: Denver’s 2026 and 2031 picks and the Suns’ own 2031 second-rounder. Even if the Suns were willing to include all three of those picks, it’s unclear whether the Hornets would have the appetite to take on Nurkic, whose sizable guaranteed salary would significantly reduce their flexibility in ’25/26 — especially if Charlotte can’t get out of a multiyear deal of its own in the process.

As we wrote earlier today in a Front Office article, the Hornets have several potential trade chips who are earning mid-level money or less, which could make them an intriguing trade partner for a team facing apron-related restrictions. The Suns wouldn’t be able to trade Nurkic for a player earning more than his $18.13MM salary, but could potentially acquire multiple rotation-caliber players from Charlotte if they’re able to sufficiently sweeten the pot with draft assets.

Hornets Notes: Bridges, Ball, Micic, Williams

December 11th, 2024 at 9:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Miles Bridges is getting closer to making his return as the Hornets start to overcome their early-season injury issues, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Bridges, who hasn’t played since November 19 because of a bone bruise on his right knee, was able to participate in team activities during Wednesday’s practice.

“It’s good,” he said. “You know I hate sitting out. I’m progressing toward the right way. That’s what I’m trying to get to. I’m getting better every day.”

Charlotte’s 7-17 start can be explained by the lengthy string of injuries that has hit the team since Mark Williams suffered a strained tendon in his left foot just before the start of training camp. Nick Richards, Tre Mann, LaMelo Ball and Tidjane Salaun followed him on the injury list, and Grant Williams was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Williams and Richards have already resumed playing, and Mann is expected to be reevaluated in the next few days.

“You see different teams dealing with injuries now, so I’m kind of happy that we’ve got that out the way — except for Grant missing the whole year,” said Bridges, who added that he re-aggravated his condition by trying to return too soon. “But just guys being able to come back now, it’s the right time — at the meat of the season. So, I feel like we’ll be good.”

There’s more from Charlotte:

Coach Charles Lee said the team is being cautious with Ball, who is recovering from a left calf strain he suffered in a November 27 game, Boone adds. Ball was projected to miss at least two weeks, and Lee said he’s not quite ready to return. “You’ve got to be able to see, No. 1 how does his body respond to trying to run, especially full speed motions?” Lee said. “And then after that, it’s how do we see him do some cutting now within the full speed running, So, there’s a progression.”
Vasilije Micic should be considered expendable as the Hornets explore trade options ahead of the February 6 deadline, Boone states in a mailbag column. Micic has been seeing increased minutes as a backup point guard while Ball and Mann are sidelined, but Boone views KJ Simpson as more of a long-term foundation piece than Micic.
Fans shouldn’t expect Williams to reclaim his place in the starting lineup anytime soon, Boone adds in the same piece. Injuries forced the big man to miss nearly a full calendar year, so he’ll need time to regain his conditioning before he’s able to play more than 30 minutes every night.

Grant Williams Undergoes Knee Surgery, Out 9-12 Months

December 11th, 2024 at 2:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Hornets forward Grant Williams has undergone surgery on his right knee to repair multiple torn ligaments, including his ACL, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Charania, Williams is expected to be sidelined for nine-to-12 months.

Williams suffered the injury in a November 23 game against Milwaukee. Reporting the next day indicated that the veteran forward had torn his meniscus and other connected ligaments in addition to his ACL, and that the injury would keep him on the shelf for the rest of the season.

While it’s no surprise that Williams is done for the season, the recovery timeline reported by Charania suggests that his debut next season could be delayed as well. ACL tears on their own often require upwards of a full year in recovery time, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Williams isn’t ready to fully participate in training camp next fall.

While Williams could technically be included in a trade while he’s injured, he’s under contract with the Hornets for two more years beyond this one, so a return to Charlotte is his likeliest outcome for next season. He’ll make $13.65MM in 2025/26 and $14.27MM in ’26/27 before potentially becoming an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027.

Charlotte was recently granted a disabled player exception as a result of Williams’ season-ending injury. The Hornets have until March 10 to use the $6.5MM exception, which can be used to sign a player to a rest-of-season contract or to acquire a player via trade or waiver if he’s on an expiring deal and his salary fits into the exception.

Hornets, Pacers Granted Disabled Player Exceptions

December 5th, 2024 at 2:53pm CST by Rory Maher

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

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

Indiana’s DPEs will be worth $2,217,691 (for Jackson) and $1,118,846 (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 a variety of ways — the DPE can be used to sign a free agent, to claim a player off waivers, or to 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 purpose of the exception is to give 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 at the moment, but each club has a little bit of flexibility, with players on non-guaranteed (or partially guaranteed) contracts.

Hornets’ Grant Williams Out For Season With Torn ACL, Meniscus

November 24th, 2024 at 2:37pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

2:37pm: The Hornets have confirmed Williams’ ACL tear and say in a press release that he’ll be out indefinitely.

12:12pm: Hornets forward Grant Williams tore his ACL, meniscus and other connected ligaments in his right knee during his team’s 125-119 defeat to the Bucks on Saturday night, sources inform Shams Charania of ESPN.

Williams will miss the rest of the 2024/25 NBA season, according to Charania.

The 25-year-old was in the midst of a productive second season in Charlotte. Across his 16 healthy games this fall while playing behind starters Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges, Williams averaged 10.4 points per game on .439/.365/.838 shooting splits. He also logged 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per night.

The Tennessee alum was initially selected by the Celtics with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2019 draft. He had some memorable moments with Boston, but was plagued by shooting inconsistency in the postseason. A bit undersized for his defensive assignments at 6’6″, Williams ultimately moved on to the Mavericks as a restricted free agent in the summer of 2023. He inked a four-year, $53.3MM deal as part of a three-team sign-and-trade.

That experiment lasted just 47 games before Williams was traded again. As part of a transformative 2023/24 midseason deal, he was shipped out along with guard Seth Curry and a future first-round draft pick to the Hornets in exchange for P.J. Washington. With Washington in tow, the Mavericks marched all the way to the NBA Finals.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (Twitter link), the Hornets will have the ability to file for a disabled player exception worth half Williams’ $13MM+ salary (approximately $6.5MM). However, while that exception gives teams extra cap flexibility, it doesn’t provide for an extra roster spot. Charlotte currently has all 15 standard roster spots occupied, so the team would need to create an opening to use a DPE.

At 6-10, the Hornets are currently the No. 11 seed in the Eastern Conference, tied by record with the Nets and Pacers. Losing Williams is a major blow to their bench depth.

Southeast Notes: Ball, G. Williams, Wagner Brothers, Butler

November 24th, 2024 at 9:58am CST by Arthur Hill

LaMelo Ball joined Kemba Walker as the only Hornets players to reach 50 points in a game in Saturday’s loss to Milwaukee, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. At 23, Ball is the third-youngest player in NBA history to achieve that mark. He only had 10 points at halftime, but he took over after intermission, particularly in the third quarter when he repeatedly attacked the basket and posted 22 points.

“It’s just him leading the team as always, leading everybody, making everybody better, getting everybody in the right places,” Brandon Miller said. “… (It’s) a great effect. It just builds confidence for everybody to play harder. We didn’t get the win, so we are going to work toward trying to get some wins.”

Ball had a scary moment early in the second half when he crashed to the floor following a mid-air collision with Brook Lopez. However, he was eventually able to get up and continue playing. Ball’s aggressiveness was a welcome sign for coach Charles Lee, who has been encouraging his point guard to drive to the hoop more often rather than settling for outside jumpers.

“He’s been phenomenal with his offensive production so far,” Lee said. “Things that I think he can continue to grow in are just understanding time and score. Slowing down a little bit and not letting the defense speed him up and just getting the shots that he wants or that we want is an area for him that he can continue to watch film and continue to talk about.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Hornets forward Grant Williams had to be helped off the court after an awkward fall on a drive late in Saturday’s game, Boone adds. Williams couldn’t put any weight on his right leg and needed assistance to get to the locker room. “I think it has just been diagnosed as a right knee injury,” Lee said. “We’ll continue to get some imaging and evaluations. The most important thing is all of our prayers are with Grant and we hope the news comes back as good as possible.”
In an interview with Mark Medina of Sportskeeda, Moritz Wagner talks about watching his brother, Franz Wagner, raise his game to the next level. Franz has been running the Magic‘s offense since Paolo Banchero was sidelined with an injury and is averaging career highs with 23.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. “An introduction to superstardom,” Moritz said. “Not to exaggerate, but I think he’s understanding his power and how good he can be.”
After being listed as questionable due to an illness, Heat forward Jimmy Butler will be available for tonight’s game against Dallas, sources tell Chris Haynes (Twitter link).

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