CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Grant Williams just wants to win.

The new Charlotte Hornets forward grew up here and was an all-state high school basketball player at Providence Day. In 2016, he helped lead the Chargers to a state championship win over Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo’s powerhouse prep team.

Earlier this year, Williams was named one of the best Charlotte high school basketball players of the past 40 years.

And after winning back-to-back SEC player of the year awards at Tennessee, Williams was a first-round NBA draft pick by the Boston Celtics in 2019. But after four years in Boston, Williams was traded to Dallas in a sign-and-trade agreement last summer that included a four-year $53 million contract. But Williams didn’t stay in Dallas long.

The Mavs traded Williams — who reached the NBA playoffs in each of his first four seasons — to Charlotte at the trade deadline in February.

Now, instead of playing in Boston or Dallas, two teams currently in the conference semifinals or finals, Williams’ season is done, and he’s one of the Hornets’ players trying to figure out how to end an eight-year playoff drought.

“It’s a blessing to be home and be surrounded by friends, family and people you love,” said Williams, who averaged 10.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists last season. “As you know, Charlotte sports in the past four or five years haven’t necessarily performed the way people have wanted. So if you can be a part of that group that builds it out and makes its consistent, that’s all I want to do. That’s a dream for a Charlotte kid.”

Williams, 25, spoke with The Charlotte Observer last week about his partnership with Quest Nutrition, an alleged dust-up with Mavericks’ star Luka Doncic during practice and the Hornets’ future. The interview is edited for brevity and clarity.

— Langston Wertz Jr.: So how did you get involved with Quest?

— Grant Williams: The partnership actually happened this past year. Prior to that, I had been interested because when I was (training pre-draft in 2019), I used their products when I was working out in Santa Barbara. I was like, ‘Wow, this could be really good. Not only to have it as part of the diet, but maybe I get to the point where I’m good enough (that) I can offer them value as much as they offer me value.

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