Start one, bench one, trade one: What the Hornets should do with Mark Williams, Nurkic, & Diabate

For years, the Charlotte Hornets couldn't figure out the center position. Now, they have three options with Mark Williams, Jusuf Nurkic, and Moussa Diabate. In all likelihood, Charlotte will try to move one of them this summer to address other areas of the roster.

How should President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson handle the situation? I've got a little start one, bench one, trade one analysis below.

Trade: Jusuf Nurkic

Apr 13, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Jusuf Nurkic (11) shoots during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

I know this is probably not the most popular pick for this spot because most would assume Mark Williams would be the guy they try to trade again, but I would have to imagine Charlotte's front office is pretty satisfied with what they saw from him down the stretch.

As for Nurkic, there's really no place for him on this rebuilding roster. They should look to move him, even if it's in a salary dump situation. Charlotte could also use him in a trade where they may look to bring in a proven player and need his salary thrown in to make it work. He's a solid player, but a team that's still clearly in the early stages of a rebuild shouldn't be paying what they'll owe him next season to be a bench piece.

Start: Mark Williams

Mar 28, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) dunks for a basket against the Toronto Raptors in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

As mentioned briefly in the Nurkic piece above, Williams played some of his best basketball as a pro once he returned to Charlotte from the rescinded trade. Defensively, it's still a major work in progress. He got bullied in the paint, even by guys who aren't known to do much damage offensively. Big, athletic centers who can score it don't grow on trees, so it's worth Charlotte letting his rookie contract play out and see how much of a defensive liability he is.

Bench: Moussa Diabate

Need a spark plug off the bench? Here's your guy. An argument could be made to shift Diabate to the four, and I'd be completely on board with that. But assuming he sticks with the five, I like him coming off the bench. Charles Lee can be strategic with how he uses him, and offensively, he just doesn't have enough in his bag (yet) to start. If they could morph together Mark Williams' offensive game and Moussa Diabate's defensive skillset, they'd have an All-Star caliber player.

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