To trade, or not to trade: that is the question the Charlotte Hornets will need to deal with regarding Mark Williams in the coming offseason.
Shipping him looks like the logical choice for the franchise, especially since his inconsistency, still underdeveloped defense, and questionable motor have overshadowed his potential. The possibility of more injuries derailing Williams' career also looms, which is what the Los Angeles Lakers have used to reverse their trade for the center at the deadline.
On the other hand, the Hornets are likely considering moving forward with their 2022 first-round pick on the roster. After all, how can they find another young big man with a similarly impressive physique and promising skill set? There might be one in the 2025 draft, although the incoming rookie seems more like a project than an immediate contributor at the NBA level at this point.
Mark Williams has shown improvement as a playmaker
Maybe the Virginia native can give Charlotte another reason to run with him beyond the summer despite the clamor for the organization to trade him. His leap as a playmaker this season might be his ticket to stay on the Hive train.
Williams has been averaging 2.5 assists per game, more than doubling his output from the 2023-24 campaign when he dished out 1.2 dimes per contest. In his past four appearances, he has put up 4.3 assists per meeting, registering the third-highest assist percentage (24.6 percent) on the team behind LaMelo Ball and KJ Simpson during that stretch.
In the Hornets' loss to the LA Clippers over a week ago, Williams logged a career-high seven assists in 24 minutes. He fed his teammates in a variety of ways, primarily through dribble handoffs. He also showed his refined court vision by finding teammates who were cutting to the rim or open behind the 3-point line.
Interestingly, it looks intentional on the big guy's part to do better in facilitating the offense. Earlier this year, after posting a then-career-high five dimes against the Los Angeles Lakers, he acknowledged in the postgame media conference how "comfortable" he felt in playmaking and returning the favor to his teammates who have found him plenty of times on offense.
If Williams can continue his ascent as a facilitator, it would give coach Charles Lee more options on offense and take some of the load off Ball, which could result in the star point guard thriving more and realizing his potential as the Hornets' leader. Consequently, it could result in the front office deciding to stick with "DTP."