Hornets acquire Mo Williams from Timberwolves

Tap here to access our NBA Trade Deadline tracker, which includes the latest transactions and rumors.

Looking to consolidate their hold on an Eastern Conference playoff spot, the Charlotte Hornets have struck a deal to acquire point guard Mo Williams and shooting guard Troy Daniels from the Minnesota Timberwolves, in exchange for shooting guard Gary Neal and a second-round draft pick, the team announced Tuesday.

The teams had previously engaged in talks on a similar deal, but negotiations had reportedly stalled in recent days. The second-round pick the Hornets tossed in (a 2019 pick courtesy of the Miami Heat) appears to be the kicker that finally sold the Timberwolves.

The Hornets have been desperate to add a point guard since Kemba Walker underwent knee surgery two weeks ago. Walker is expected to remain sidelined for four more weeks and Charlotte's secondary options have been fairly unpalatable.

Brian Roberts is a steady backup who takes great care of the ball, but he's not nearly a good enough creator to keep an offense humming in starter's minutes. The Hornets occasionally use Lance Stephenson as a secondary ball handler, but they prefer to play him off-ball and also plan to keep him in a reserve role.

Meanwhile, Williams had become superfluous in Minnesota, with Ricky Rubio returned from injury and the development of rookie point guard Zach LaVine taking precedence for the rebuilding Timberwolves.

"The exciting part is they're in the playoff picture and I can see myself finishing my career there," Williams said, as relayed by Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports, of the move to the Hornets.

He should provide a solid stop-gap at the point and the fact that his contract expires at season's end is an added plus (as much as he might see himself finishing his career in Charlotte). He's shown he still has the ability to score in bunches, his career-best 37.3 percent assist rate is higher than anyone's on the Hornets and he'll be able to space the floor some for a shooting-starved offense.

The Hornets hoped Neal would help in that area, but coupled with his poor perimeter defense, Neal has been sub-replacement level this season and the Hornets have been 5.9 points per 100 possessions worse with him on the floor.

Despite Neal's struggles, Timberwolves head coach and president Flip Saunders said his club has no intentions of reaching a buyout agreement with Neal. 

"This was a difficult decision because of what Mo brought to our team and the impact he had on our young guys," said Saunders.

The Hornets also pick up Daniels in the deal, an undrafted 23-year-old who impressed in a brief stint with the Houston Rockets last season, particularly in the playoffs, where he showed an ability to knock down shots in big moments.

With two players coming back, the Hornets opened up a roster spot by releasing Elliot Williams from a 10-day contract.