The Charlotte Hornets have had an interesting dumping ground of unwanted players since earlier this year. After shipping Nick Richards to the Phoenix Suns in January, Charlotte also sent Mark Williams to the desert this summer. The latter was a curious move on the Suns' part, as it entailed a few presumably agonizing roster decisions, especially after they picked Khaman Maluach in the draft.
One of the outcomes of their sudden glut of centers on the roster was the silent parting of ways with fan favorite Bol Bol. While the lanky big man never reached Victor Wembanyama's status despite their similarly towering physique, he still managed to win the hearts of some Phoenix fans. Well, now he's gone, as he would have been buried deep in the bench.
Another casualty of Williams' addition is likely Oso Ighodaro. The incoming second-year pro showed signs of promise as a rotation-level center in limited minutes last season. Now, he will likely get to play only if any of Williams, Maluach, and Richards are on the shelf. Or perhaps the Suns are planning to roll out twin-tower combinations, although the lack of spacing could frustrate their stars, Devin Booker and Jalen Green.
It's unclear what the Suns intend to do with their surplus of pivots, and Hornets fans are probably cracking up laughing that Phoenix didn't seem to watch Charlotte games in the past couple of years.
Hornets are unlikely to miss their former fives
Williams has displayed star potential for sure, although his injuries have hindered his development and prevented him from being as useful as possible for the Hornets. At least they were able to find some use for him in their quest to add assets this offseason.
As for Richards, he seems better off being a third-string big, as his skills appear to have already plateaued. The 27-year-old veteran does look like he'll be playing behind Williams and Maluach, and there should be nothing wrong with that if only Phoenix didn't send a net total of two second-round picks to the Hornets to acquire him.
Fortunately, Charlotte does not have to worry about the pair anymore.
Incidentally, its supposed lack of depth at center has had folks around the league expressing pessimism about its chances of becoming a competitive squad. The thing is, Williams and Richards likely aren't the long-term solution for the Hornets' enigma. Perhaps the Suns see them in that light, and they should after having to make some seemingly tough decisions to accommodate the big men.