Charlotte Hornets and Sacramento Kings swap starters in intriguing mock trade

Mark Williams' standing with the Charlotte Hornets is one of this offseason's most intriguing sub plots. Entering his fourth NBA season, Williams is extension-eligible, set to play on the final season of his rookie deal.

Jeff Peterson already tried to trade Williams once. Will he do it again? Or will he extend an olive branch to the big man and ink him to a long-term deal, locking him in as the Hornets' center of the future? A trade is infinitely more likely, and a deal with the Kings makes sense for both sides.

Mark Williams heads to California (again)

Murray is the prototypical stretch four who functions as a fully-actualized version of Tidjane Salaün. The former Iowa Hawkeye had some success as a King, but a change of scenery would do both sides well.

The veteran forward is coming off the worst season of his career efficiency-wise, although his counting stats (12.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists) breed familiarity. The selling point for him in Charlotte is two-fold: his shooting ability, and his defensive impact.

Functioning as an ancillary piece in Sacramento who was forced to watch Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Damontas Sabonis dribble the air out of the ball, Murray turned in a career-low usage rate in 2024-25 and his shooting accuracy suffered, likely due to a lack of rhythm. He's a proven knock-down jump shooter (Murray nailed 42% of his threes as a rookie), and if given a chance to bloom as a Hornet, he could see a resurgence to his prior form.

This past season, Murray was a key piece to Sacramento's defense. The Kings allowed 4.3 points fewer per 100 possessions when the versatile forward took the floor.

Like Williams, Murray is on the last year of his rookie contract. A swap for the two young players allows their new teams a full season of data collection before making a decision on their long-term contracts. Both Keegan Murray and Mark Williams could use a fresh perspective in a new city, and a deal between Charlotte and Sacramento could be a win-win way to make that happen.

- MORE STORIES FROM HORNETS ON SI -

Why the Hornets should target former Sixth Man of the Year as the center of the future

Should the Hornets ship out the No. 4 pick for a proven, veteran player?

The Hornets' Dilemma: Rip it down to the studs or keep investing in the young core?

A carnival or a basketball player? NBA insider says LaMelo Ball needs to decide what he is