Trade Grant Williams? Why it Could Be on the Table for the Hornets This Summer

Jeff Peterson and the Charlotte Hornets have a busy offseason ahead of them, and as they look for ways to improve the roster and aim to become a top-six seed in the Eastern Conference, they will have to tweak their frontcourt.

There are a number of ways to do it, too.

They can make an upgrade at center, moving Moussa Diabaté to a bench role. They could trade Miles Bridges for someone who brings more length and physicality to the table. Or they can address it through the draft by taking someone like Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan), Morez Johnson (Michigan), Aday Mara (Michigan), Hannes Steinbach (Washington), or Jayden Quaintance (Kentucky).

There is one scenario that doesn't get brought up all that much, and that's trading Grant Williams.

Apr 14, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams (2) handles the ball against the Miami Heat during the second quarter during the play-in rounds between the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Hornets love what Williams brings to the table from both a production and leadership standpoint and have never expressed interest in moving him, but if the right deal comes along, he could be part of a package that helps bring in an upgrade at the four or five.

As far as realistic trade chips go, he carries the third-highest cap hit for the 2026-27 season at $14.2M. Miles Bridges ($22.8M) and Josh Green ($14.6M) are the only two ahead of him. Although Bridges seems like the odd man out or the obvious piece of the starting five that could be moved, it's not a sure thing. Charlotte's front office values his production and his relationship with LaMelo Ball.

Even if Charlotte takes the safe/patient approach this offseason and primarily builds through the draft, moving Williams makes a lot of sense. Keeping Miles Bridges and drafting someone at 14 or 18 at the position creates a bit of a logjam, and let's not forget Tidjane Salaün still exists in their plans. The 2024 first-round pick has not shown a ton of upside in his first two years in the league, but Peterson and Co. knew it wasn't going to happen overnight with him, and they're not about to give up on his development this early.

Williams does have value, so it's not like by trading him you're only going to get a bag of chips in return.

He's a solid bench piece, but the Hornets need more length and physicality in the frontcourt. Williams does play the game in a physical manner, but doesn't match up well with bigs in the post and doesn't have the top-end athleticism to compensate for it.

If the Hornets take a power forward in the draft, moving Williams has to be something they are open to doing.

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