Marvin Williams Re-Signs with Hornets: Latest Contract Details and Comments

Charlotte Hornets forward Marvin Williams re-signed with the team on a four-year, $54.5 million contract, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on July 2. The Hornets confirmed Williams re-signed with the organization on Sunday.

Hornets general manager Rich Cho discussed Williams' impact, per the press release:

Williams embodies the exact type of player we look for when building the Hornets roster. He can defend multiple positions, brings versatility and improved shooting on the offensive end and is a veteran presence that our younger players look up to. We are excited to keep Marvin in Charlotte and build off last year’s success with him as a part of our team.

Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer confirmed Wojnarowski's report on July 2. Wojnarowski noted Williams had received offers with a higher average value of around $15 million per season, but he wanted to remain in Charlotte.

Williams, 30, averaged 11.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and one block in 28.9 minutes per game. He started 81 games for the Hornets this season and helped lead the team to the playoffs.

He struggled offensively in the postseason, however, averaging just 5.1 points and 6.9 rebounds in seven games. The Miami Heat eliminated the Hornets in their opening-round series.

Nevertheless, Williams was an excellent defender this season and had to take on a bigger role in that capacity, as Bonnell noted:

Then small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – the self-described middle linebacker of the Hornets – suffered a severe injury in the preseason that required major shoulder surgery. Williams took on Kidd-Gilchrist’s role as the centerpiece of the Hornets’ defensive schemes.

He isn’t Kidd-Gilchrist. Not many players are MKG’s peer defensively. But Williams has the length and agility to guard a wide spectrum of players. He’s effective interchangeably playing either power forward or small forward.

And no matter how often [head coach Steve] Clifford calls on him to switch positions or assignments, he complies with a great attitude. 

That versatility made him an intriguing option for many teams in free agency this offseason, while the pending return of Kidd-Gilchrist seemingly made Williams somewhat expendable in Charlotte. Nonetheless, the Hornets made re-signing him a major priority.

And while Williams won't blow anybody away with his offense—he scored a career-high 14.8 points per game in 2007-08 with the Atlanta Hawks—he did shoot a career-best 40.2 percent from beyond the arc this season.

Players with great length (6'9") who play solid defense and can shoot the three are always valuable. And while Williams will likely come off the bench going forward, he's a virtual Swiss army knife for the Hornets.

His signing wasn't the splashiest move, but it gives the team fantastic depth on the wing and should quietly pay major dividends as Charlotte guns for the postseason once again in 2016-17.

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