The Charlotte Hornets are beginning to make essential decisions about the direction of the franchise. Widely rumored to be sellers ahead of the 2025 NBA trade deadline, Charlotte lived up to the billing by sending Nick Richards to the Phoenix Suns for Josh Okogie and three second-round draft picks.
The decision has been instantly rewarded by center Mark Williams, who proved exactly what he can do with a more defined place in the rotation.
Richards and Williams have spent the past three seasons sharing minutes at center. Both have provided the Hornets with quality contributions, but the front office made a clear commitment to a youth movement when they firmly established that Williams is the center of the future.
It was an expected decision, of course, but putting the wheels in motion has created a different level of comfort and excitement over what's to come.
With Richards now in Phoenix, Williams has an opportunity to play big minutes on a nightly basis. That includes having the chance to play through his off nights instead of being shuffled out in favor of a player who may be in better form.
Williams has already rewarded the Hornets' faith in him and could be on the cusp of a breakout that would solidify his status as one of the best young centers in the NBA.
Mark Williams went off in first Hornets game without Nick Richards
Mere hours after Richards was traded to the Suns, Williams celebrated the newfound clarity surrounding his minutes. Perhaps more significantly, he did so while matched up against another rising star at center in Utah Jazz interior anchor Walker Kessler.
With all eyes on him, Williams went off to the tune of 31 points, 13 rebounds, six offensive boards, two assists, two steals, and a block on 12-of-14 shooting from the field.
It was a sensational performance from Williams who set new career-highs in both points and minutes. For those who have been monitoring his play in recent weeks, it was far from a surprise to see him flourish under those circumstances.
The previous time out, Williams put up a then season-high 24 points and 16 rebounds, as well as four assists and a block.
All signs are pointing toward this being the beginning of a massive step forward from Williams. Over the past 10 games, he's averaged 16.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.2 offensive boards, 2.4 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 0.8 steals on 65.3 percent shooting from the field.
Williams has accumulated those numbers in just 25.9 minutes per game—the story of his season before Richards was traded.
Williams is currently averaging 23.4 points, 14.2 rebounds, 4.7 offensive boards, 3.5 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.0 steal per 36 minutes. It's looking safer than ever to believe that he could actually average close to those numbers on a per-game basis with consistent playing time.
With Richards out of the equation, Williams is closer than ever to proving that he has the All-Star potential Charlotte has seen in him.