Williams will miss the remainder of the season after he was diagnosed Sunday with a torn ACL, meniscus and associated ligaments in his right knee following an MRI, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Williams sustained the injury in the fourth quarter of Saturday's loss to the Bucks, when he planted his right leg on a drive to the basket. The 25-year-old will end the season with averages of 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks across 29.9 minutes per game over 16 appearances. Given the severe nature of his injury, Williams could be hard-pressed to return to full health for the start of the 2025-26 season. With Mark Williams (foot) and Nick Richards (ribs) already sidelined with injuries of their own, the Hornets had been leaving more heavily on Grant Williams as an undersized center of late. Grant Williams' absence should lead to increased minutes for Moussa Diabate, Tidjane Salaun and Taj Gibson in the frontcourt until Mark Williams and Richards are able to return.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Helped back to locker room
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Williams (leg) went to the locker room in the fourth quarter of Saturday's game against the Bucks, Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports.
Williams suffered the injury while planting his right leg on a drive to the basket, and he went to the ground after attempting to walk back to the Hornets' bench. He was helped back to the locker room, and given that it's late in the fourth quarter, it doesn't appear that Williams will return to Saturday's contest. Moussa Diabate came in for Williams, and the former should remain on the floor for the rest of the game.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Falls just shy of double-double
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Williams chipped in 15 points (5-9 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 3-3 FT), nine rebounds, three assists and one steal across 35 minutes during Sunday's 128-114 loss to the Cavaliers.
Williams has come close to grabbing double-digit rebounds a few times this season but wasn't able to snag one more Sunday to record his first double-double of the campaign. He's also seen his scoring production spike of late, as he's put up double figures in three of his last four appearances after doing so only once in his first seven games of the year. As long as Mark Williams (foot) and Nick Richards (ribs) remain sidelined, Grant should continue starting at center and playing 30-plus minutes a night.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Efficient in starting role Tuesday
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Williams chipped in 15 points (5-8 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 2-4 FT), four rebounds, one assist and two steals across 31 minutes during Tuesday's 114-89 loss to Orlando.
Williams made his second start of the year as the Hornets wanted to shake things up in the frontcourt, and the veteran responded by delivering his second-best scoring output of the season. Plus, Williams has now scored in double digits in three of his last four games, so there's a chance he might remain in a starting role for the foreseeable future. If that's the case, his fantasy upside will be on the rise, too.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Set to start against Orlando
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Williams is in the starting five for Tuesday's game versus the Magic.
Williams will replace Tidjane Salaun in the starting lineup Tuesday. Williams recorded five points, three rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes during his only other start this season.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Matches season high off bench
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Williams finished with 17 points (6-14 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds, two assists, three blocks and two steals in 38 minutes during Sunday's 107-105 overtime loss to Philadelphia.
Williams provided Charlotte with a spark off the bench as he has done most of the season thus far, leading all Hornets second-unit players in scoring while finishing as one of three players with 15 or more points. Williams, who also recorded a game-best trio of blocks and a team-high-tying pair of steals, matched a season high in scoring, a mark he also tallied Oct. 30 against Toronto. The forward has now reached double figures in scoring in three contests this year.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Available to play Friday
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Williams (back) is available for Friday's game against the Pacers.
Williams appears to have sustained a minor back injury during Wednesday's win over Detroit, though he has the green light to suit up Friday. The 25-year-old forward isn't starting but should see an increased role due to Miles Bridges (knee), Mark Williams (foot) and Nick Richards (ribs) all being ruled out.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Expected to play Friday
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Williams is listed as probable for Friday's game versus the Pacers due to lower back soreness.
Williams appears to have injured his back against Detroit but isn't expected to miss Friday's contest. With Miles Bridges (knee) out, Williams could be inserted into the starting lineup if he's upgraded to available.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Returns to bench
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Williams isn't starting Monday's game against the Timberwolves, Charlie Walton of ZoneCoverage.com reports.
Williams stepped into the starting five for Saturday's matchup with Boston, but he'll retreat to a bench role Monday as the Hornets try Taj Gibson in the starting center role. Williams has seen plenty of run off the bench so far this year, averaging 25.2 minutes per game.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Inserted into starting lineup
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Williams is in the starting five for Saturday's game versus the Celtics.
Williams will make his first start of the season Saturday with Nick Richards (shoulder) and Mark Williams (foot) out. Williams is averaging 9.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.2 steals in 25.4 minutes across his previous five appearances.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Ejected from Friday's game
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Williams was ejected from Friday's game against the Celtics with 2:02 remaining in the fourth quarter after being assessed a Flagrant 2 foul, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
With Mark Williams (back) out and Nick Richards (shoulder) leaving the contest early, Grant Williams was thrust into an expanded role at center. He finished with six points (2-6 FG, 2-5 3Pt), seven rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block in 30 minutes before making a non-basketball play on a Jayson Tatum late in the fourth quarter. If Mark Williams and Richards remain out, Grant Williams could move into the starting lineup Saturday in the second leg of a back-to-back set with the Celtics.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Records season-high 17 points
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Williams had 17 points (5-6 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 4-4 FT), two rebounds, five assists and two steals in 23 minutes during Wednesday's 138-133 win over the Raptors.
Williams combined with Tre Mann and Cody Martin to score 68 points off Charlotte's bench in Wednesday's win. Williams is off to a blistering start from beyond the arc this season, converting 47.4 percent of his 4.8 three-point attempts per contest.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Plays 19 minutes in loss
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Williams provided seven points (2-7 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), two rebounds, one assist and one steal in 19 minutes during Saturday's 114-106 loss to the Heat.
Williams has played 25, 29 and 19 minutes through the first three games of the season. With Josh Green (Achilles), Brandon Miller (hip) and Mark Williams (foot) sidelined, there should be more minutes available for Grant, but thus far, he's failed to capitalize from a fantasy perspective.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Won't suit up Tuesday
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Williams (hamstring) has been ruled out of Tuesday's preseason matchup against the Heat.
Williams will miss his second consecutive preseason game due to a minor right hamstring injury, though he is expected to return in full for Opening Night. The 25-year-old's absence will likely allow the Hornets to take an extended look at Harry Giles and Moussa Diabate behind Miles Bridges and Nick Richards.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Ruled out Sunday
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Williams has been ruled out of Sunday's preseason opener against the Knicks due to a minor hamstring injury, Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer reports.
Williams tweaked his hamstring near the end of training camp and his status for a return to game action is unclear. The injury is minor, but the club could look to work the 25-year-old back to form slowly until Opening Night. Williams' next opportunity to feature will come Tuesday versus the Heat.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Will miss season finale
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Williams (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Cavaliers, Sam Perley of the Hornets' official site reports.
Williams will miss back-to-back games due to an ankle injury to end his 2023-24 campaign. After a slow start with the Mavericks, Williams was shipped to Charlotte at the deadline and was a consistent producer. He made 29 appearances (10 starts) for the Hornets and averaged 13.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals-plus-blocks in 30.6 minutes per game. Williams is still under contract for three more seasons.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Iffy for Sunday
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Williams (ankle) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Cavaliers.
Williams was unable to play Friday against Boston, but the forward remains day-to-day. If he's unable to suit up Sunday, guys like Aleksej Pokusevski and Marques Bolden could step up.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Downgraded to out
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Williams (ankle) won't play Friday against the Celtics.
Williams was listed questionable due to a right ankle sprain, and it's been decided he's not healthy enough to suit up. Aleksej Pokusevski and Marques Bolden should see more chances at center with Williams and Nick Richards (foot) sidelined.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Efficient in victory
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Williams posted 16 points (5-6 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds, five assists and one steal in 27 minutes during Wednesday's 115-114 win over the Hawks.
Williams drew a sixth consecutive start Wednesday and was nearly perfect from the floor in the narrow win. He's scored in double figures in five of his last six appearances, averaging 15.5 points, 5.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the floor.
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Hornets' Grant Williams: Fills stat sheet Sunday
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Williams finished Sunday's 121-118 loss to the Thunder with 19 points (7-10 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 3-4 FT), three rebounds, five assists, one block and two steals in 38 minutes.
Williams seems poised to end the season as a starter for the rebuilding Hornets, as he's been part of the first unit in his last four appearances. Perhaps more impressive is the fact that he was part of the first unit even though Nick Richards was back in the rotation following a three-game absence. Williams is averaging 10.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game when deployed in a starting lineup this season.
