The Charlotte Hornets have acquired Mo Williams and Troy Daniels from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Gary Neal:
Mo Williams traded to Hornets for Gary Neal, according to report
The Hornets have acquired Williams and Troy Daniels in an effort to upgrade the point-guard position with Kemba Walker out with a knee injury.
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Hornets, T'Wolves near agreement on deal sending Mo Williams and Troy Daniels to Charlotte, Gary Neal to Minny, league sources tell RealGM.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 10, 2015 There’s also a draft pick involved in the deal:
Charlotte has acquired guards Mo Williams and Troy Daniels for Gary Neal and a second-round pick, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 10, 2015 The Hornets have confirmed the deal and said the second-round pick going to the Wolves is the 2019 second-round pick acquired from the Miami Heat in the 2014 NBA Draft.
The Timberwolves followed that up with another move, trading a protected first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks for rookie big man Adreian Payne.
The first round pick the Wolves are sending the Hawks is lottery protected from 2017-2020 according to sources.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) February 10, 2015 Charlotte had been seeking an upgrade at point guard ever since Kemba Walker underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee in late January. The injury was expected to keep Walker out at least six weeks, and with the Hornets in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, the team wanted to make a move to soften the blow until the point guard returned.
What are the Hornets getting with Williams?
Williams was having a nice season in Minnesota, getting more playing time than expected due to the ankle injury to Ricky Rubio. Williams is averaging 12.2 points and 6.4 assists on the season while shooting 40.3 percent overall and 34.7 percent from three. The 32-year-old had a memorable 52-point performance against the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 13.
Brian Roberts has started at point guard for the Hornets since the Walker injury, and the point guard has struggled with his shooting. Over the last seven games, Roberts averaged 11.4 points and 4.0 assists while shooting 38.2 percent overall and 26.5 percent from three. It's unclear who will start moving forward, but don't count out Williams coming in and taking over the starting job.
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Will the Wolves keep Neal?
Neal has been a consistent offensive threat off the bench over the course of his career, but he’s having a down year this season. The shooting guard is shooting just 35.9 percent overall and 29.3 percent from three, marks well below his career shooting percentages. The Wolves reportedly plan to explore their options with the 30-year-old:
Bottom line correction on Gary Neal and Minnesota: Sides plan to explore options -- buyout, trade -- for a possible deal.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 10, 2015
Neal will be a free agent in the summer, and he’s of little use to Minnesota this season. The Wolves will likely try and flip the shooting guard for another asset, but if nothing pans out, a buyout agreement could be reached.
Can Daniels contribute?
Daniels was used sparingly in Minnesota, playing just 7.3 minutes per game in 36 appearances. However, the 23-year-old was a spark off the bench for the Houston Rockets in last year's postseason, averaging 7.8 points in 17.0 minutes while shooting 53.3 percent from three.
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