Grant Williams is expected to make his season debut tomorrow at Utah, according to the Hornets (Twitter link), who have officially listed the 27-year-old as probable to suit up against the Jazz.
Williams, who is in his seventh NBA season after being selected No. 22 overall in the 2019 draft, has been sidelined since November 23, 2024, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He underwent surgery to repair the ACL and other knee ligaments a few weeks later.
Hornets head coach Charles Lee said earlier this week that the 6’7″ forward was in the final stages of his rehab and had been playing five-on-five with the team.
Williams, who played high school basketball in Charlotte, was a rotation regular for the Hornets last season prior to the serious knee injury, averaging 10.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals on .439/.365/.838 shooting in 16 games, including seven starts (29.9 minutes per contest). He’s under contract for a combined $27.9MM over the next two seasons and could be a free agent in the summer of 2027.
Ryan Kalkbrenner is also on track to return Saturday after missing the past 10 games due to a left elbow sprain. He’s probable to play in the road game in Utah.
The 7’1″ center was off to a solid start to his rookie campaign prior to the injury, averaging 8.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG and 1.8 BPG while shooting 78.7% from the field. The 34th overall pick in last year’s draft started 25 of his 26 games, averaging 25.6 MPG.