The Charlotte Hornets could be looking to add Marvin Williams to their roster after engaging in talks with the young forward, per a report from Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski.
Charlotte Hornets focus on Marvin Williams in free agency
The former Hawks and Jazz swingman could be headed to the Queen City.
Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Why this is a good idea
With the departure of Josh McRoberts to the Miami Heat, Charlotte lost what little outside shooting they had. The hole Williams needs to fill is likely at power forward more than anything, where his three-point shooting and rebounding will be more than welcome.
Williams is one of the best forwards left in free agency, and as the Hornets found a taste of the playoffs last season, they are sure to want to return there next year. Williams fills an immediate need and provides familiarity for Al Jefferson, who he played with for a year in Utah.
As a market, Charlotte isn’t attracting big-name talent, so getting Williams at the right value could be a win for a team that has the possibility for a very bright future.
Why this is a bad idea
Williams can shoot the ball well, but his passing acumen isn’t nearly at the level that McRoberts provided. He will have to make up for that in other ways, likely by helping Jefferson on the defensive end of the floor.
Williams made $7.5 million last season and, at 28 years old, will likely be looking for a pay increase. Giving him more than $10 million isn’t wise, but for the Hornets and their market, they might be forced to do so. That would eat up almost half of their available cap space for one non-marquee player.
The other part of the equation has to be the development of Cody Zeller. He might not be ready to play starters’ minutes, but with Williams in the fold you have to wonder how much he would see the court.
Likelihood it happens
Williams seems to be a more reasonable request than restricted free agent Gordon Hayward, whose name has been tossed out in free agency rumors with big numbers attached and even bigger chances that Utah matches. Big men are hard to come by, and with teams snapping up the likes of Marcin Gortat, Channing Frye and Chris Kaman already, I'll put the chances at 8/10 that Charlotte pulls the trigger with Williams.
See More:
