Former Tennessee basketball star and Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams will miss the preseason while recovering from a right hamstring injury, the team announced Sept. 25.
Williams, a Charlotte native, will be reevaluated during the first week of the regular season. The Hornets open the regular season Oct. 21 at the Brooklyn Nets.
The 6-foot-7 forward has spent seven seasons in the NBA since being selected No. 22 overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2019 NBA Draft. He has been with the Hornets since 2024.
Injuries have limited Williams’ availability in recent seasons. After playing in 76 games during the 2023-24 season, he was limited to 16 games the following season after suffering a right ACL tear that caused him to miss the final 66 games.
Williams returned last season but played in just 36 games, missing 46 while continuing to recover from the ACL injury.
Before entering the NBA, Williams starred for three seasons at Tennessee, helping lead a turnaround for a program that had been projected to finish near the bottom of the SEC.
The Vols won the SEC regular season championship in 2018, Williams’ junior season. He finished his Tennessee career as a two-time SEC Player of the Year and first-team All-American.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Former Tennessee star Grant Williams to miss NBA preseason with hamstring injury
