Grant Williams is heading to Greensboro instead of Brooklyn, with the Hornets sending him to Swarm practice Wednesday while he remains sidelined by a right hamstring strain.
Charlotte is set to face the Nets that night at Barclays Center, but Williams has already been ruled out. He has yet to play in any of the Hornets’ first eight games.
The move mirrors what Charlotte did with Kon Knueppel last week. Knueppel was assigned to the Swarm for an Oct. 29 practice and brought back the next day, and he could be in line to make his season debut against Brooklyn.
He is listed probable with a left hamstring strain. Coby White is also probable as he continues under left calf injury management.
The Hornets first revealed the hamstring injuries on Sept. 25, saying both came during offseason on-court work. Williams was dealing with the right hamstring, while Knueppel’s injury was to the left. Neither took part in the preseason, and Charlotte initially set a re-evaluation for the first week of the regular season.
After training camp wrapped at The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, on Oct. 2, coach Charles Lee said two days later that both players were moving in the right direction.
“Their engagement has been really good in how they’re helping and elevating our practices and our environment,” Lee said. “... they’re trending positively. They’re doing a little bit more on the court every day.”
Charlotte later said on Oct. 20 that Williams, Knueppel, and White had all gotten back to individual on-court work, though each was still on a return-to-play plan. Then, six days after that, Lee said there was “no timeline as far as I know right now” for the trio and that he would have a better read after the team’s two-game road trip.
Williams has stayed out ever since.
His absence comes after a long rehab path from the major knee injury he suffered on Nov. 23, 2024, at Milwaukee, when he tore the ACL, meniscus, and other ligaments in his right knee. He had surgery in Chicago on Dec. 11.
Before he returned, Lee said Williams was in the final stretch of that recovery.
“Grant’s obviously been out for an extended period of time with his injury now, has been able to be more involved in team activities and five-on-five play, and so far he’s responded really well,” Lee said.
Williams finally got back on the floor Jan. 10, 2026, against the Utah Jazz, more than 13 months after the injury in Milwaukee. He started three of the 36 games he played the rest of that season, averaging 7.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 19.8 minutes while shooting 42.6% from the field and 38.8% from 3-point range.
Charlotte finished 44-38 and ninth in the Eastern Conference. Williams scored 5 points in 18 minutes during a 127-126 overtime play-in win over the Miami Heat, then had 1 point in 15 minutes in a 121-90 loss at Orlando three nights later.
Williams entered the NBA as the 22nd overall pick by the Boston Celtics out of Tennessee in 2019. He also played high school basketball at Providence Day School in Charlotte before joining the Hornets from the Dallas Mavericks in 2024.
In Other News...
Hornets Offense Desperately Needs Kon Knueppel Back This Week
The Hornets offense has been stuck in a rough early-season stretch, and the need for a jolt has only grown as the scoring issues pile up. Kon Knueppel, who has not played yet this season, is still working his way back from a hamstring injury, and Charlotte is clearly feeling the absence of the rookie who brought so much firepower last year.
Knueppels debut campaign was eye-opening, with multiple NBA rookie records and a profile that suggested he could be a quick answer for an attack that has sputtered badly. Charlotte is now waiting on his return to the lineup, and with the offense sitting at the bottom of the league, the timing of that comeback feels especially important. [Read more 🡒]
Coby White Is Back But Charlottes Offense Still Looks Like The Real Story
Coby White is back in the Hornets starting lineup after working his way back from a left calf strain, and his first night back came with the kind of cautious rollout the team had in mind. He logged 15 minutes against the Pistons as Charlotte eased him into action, a move that also allowed Dennis Schrder to shift into a reserve role while the Hornets get closer to their projected first unit being together.
Even with White available again, the bigger concern around this group remains the offense itself. Charlotte still has to find cleaner possession basketball and more reliable scoring, and Whites return is only part of the answer as the Hornets try to stabilize a lineup that has been missing pieces and searching for rhythm. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets May Finally Get The Rotation Help They Desperately Need
Help could be on the way for a Hornets rotation that has been stretched thin early this season. Kon Knueppel and Coby White are both listed as probable for Wednesday night at Brooklyn, a welcome sign for a team that has been waiting on reinforcements and trying to piece together minutes while key bodies have been sidelined. Knueppel has missed all eight games with a left hamstring strain, while White is just back from a left calf strain.
Grant Williams, meanwhile, remains out with a right hamstring injury and still has not played this season after getting hurt during offseason workouts. Even with two guards trending toward availability, Charlotte is still navigating a frontcourt absence that has lingered since the summer, which keeps the focus on how much cleaner the rotation can look once the Hornets finally get a few more options back on the floor. [Read more 🡒]