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Charlotte Hornets: Pros and cons of signing Michael Carter-Williams

By Colby Giacubeno

CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 27: Michael Carter-Williams #7 of the Chicago Bulls handles the ball during a game against the Boston Celtics at the United Center on October 27, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 27: Michael Carter-Williams #7 of the Chicago Bulls handles the ball during a game against the Boston Celtics at the United Center on October 27, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 27: Michael Carter-Williams #7 of the Chicago Bulls works against Terry Rozier #12 of the Boston Celtics during a game at the United Center on October 27, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 27: Michael Carter-Williams #7 of the Chicago Bulls works against Terry Rozier #12 of the Boston Celtics during a game at the United Center on October 27, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

Pros

Low-Risk, High Reward:

The Hornets were able to come to an agreement with Carter-Williams for a very cheap price. This would’ve been a totally different story if we saw the Hornets throw a number around $8-10 million, but taking a flier on a guy who showed so much potential when he first entered the league is worth it.

Spencer Percy of QueenCityHoops.com pointed out that in the agreement, the Hornets will use a portion of their mid-level exception. This still leaves them with $5.7 million left on their MLE and bi-annual exception. So basically, the team will have $7 million left to work with for the remainder of the offseason. As players continue to take huge deals, teams money is being soaked up, which means there is a possibility for some quality players left that will have no choice but to take a cheaper deal.

Fills backup PG vacancy:

As Chicago did with Carter-Williams, Charlotte declined its team option on Ramon Sessions. In 50 games played, Sessions averaged 6.2 points and 2.6 assists in 16.2 minutes per game. Prior to the agreement with Carter-Williams, Kemba Walker and Briante Weber were the only point guards on the roster.

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Carter-Williams will have an opportunity to come in and play significant minutes behind Walker. It’ll be interesting to see how head coach Steve Clifford features him in the rotation. It wouldn’t be shocking to see a Carter-Williams/Walker backcourt throughout the course of games. His length at 6’6″ allows him to guard multiple positions.

For the majority of his minutes though, Carter-Williams will be the spearhead of the second unit along with this year’s draft pick Malik Monk, Frank Kaminsky and Cody Zeller. One thing Carter-Williams has in his game is good vision and passing ability. That will be key in pick-and-roll situations with either Kamisky or Zeller. He’ll be expected to read the weakside rotations from the defense where an open Monk will likely be waiting to launch a three.

Settling into a role:

Carter-Williams doesn’t seem to have the mindset of becoming a star in the NBA, which is okay. It’s a recipe for disaster when a player has a great rookie season and believes he has earned the title of being a go-to guy for the rest of his career.

This past April, he told reporters his thoughts about his game and state of mind he approaches the game with:

"“I think my game has matured,” Carter-Williams told reporters in April. “I think I’m more of a leader on the floor. I try to do all of the little things. I think my overall game has improved. I’m playing a different role, but I think my game has improved a lot.”"

If a player has the ability to adjust his game to a certain role, it makes him extremely valuable. In this deal, it’s a chance for both the Hornets and Carter-Williams to prove that he is still a respectable NBA player. The Hornets hope to reap the benefits.

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