simple transpose of table using TSQL and SQL_VARIANT columns, Sql Server

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CREATE TABLE yourTable([color] nvarchar(5), [Paul] nvarchar(10), [John] int, [Tim] 
int, [Eric] float);

INSERT INTO yourTable
([color], [Paul], [John], [Tim], [Eric])
VALUES
('Red', 'hi', 5, 1, 3.3),
('Green', 'there', 4, 3, 5.5),
('Blue', 'everyone', 2, 9, 7.5);

DECLARE @colsConvert AS NVARCHAR(MAX)
DECLARE @colsUnpivot AS NVARCHAR(MAX)
DECLARE @colsPivot as  NVARCHAR(MAX)
DECLARE @query  AS NVARCHAR(MAX)

select @colsConvert = (select ', cast('+quotename(C.name)+' as sql_variant) as '+quotename(C.name)
     from sys.columns as C
     where C.object_id = object_id('yourtable') and
           C.name <> 'color'
     for xml path(''))
     
select @colsUnpivot = stuff((select ','+quotename(C.name)
     from sys.columns as C
     where C.object_id = object_id('yourtable') and
           C.name <> 'color'
     for xml path('')), 1, 1, '')

select @colsPivot = STUFF((SELECT  ',' 
                  + quotename(color)
                from yourtable t
        FOR XML PATH(''), TYPE
        ).value('.', 'NVARCHAR(MAX)') 
    ,1,1,'')

set @query 
= 'select name, '+@colsPivot+'
  from
  (
    select color, name, value
    from (select color'+@colsConvert+' from yourtable) as converted
    unpivot
    (
      value for name in ('+@colsUnpivot+')
    ) unpiv
  ) src
  pivot
  (
    max(value)
    for color in ('+@colsPivot+')
  ) piv'

--select @query
exec(@query)

View schema
Execution time: 0,05 sec, rows selected: 8, rows affected: 3, absolute service time: 0,2 sec