CHARLOTTE — Jeff Peterson might have entered this past weekend feeling optimistic about the bold moves his team made at the tail end of the NBA’s trade deadline on Thursday, but the joy didn’t last too long.
On Saturday night, the Charlotte Hornets’ executive vice president of basketball operations was faced with the shocking news that his work had been undone; the Los Angeles Lakers disclosed in a surprise announcement that they had rescinded their trade for third-year Hornets center Mark Williams due to multiple issues with a failed physical, per report.
The trade would have given Charlotte rookie Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, a first-round swap in 2030, and an unprotected first-round pick in 2031 to the Hornets in exchange for Williams.
It was a landmark deal for both teams, erased in a split second due to what the Lakers officially say is a “failure to satisfy a condition of the trade” on the Hornets‘ part pertaining to Williams’ health. If the 23-year-old’s failed physical happened prior to the expiration of the trade deadline, the original deal could’ve been amended — but it was too late now.
Williams is now a Hornet again, returning to the Queen City just days after posting purple and gold hearts on his social media account.
The former Duke star and 15th overall pick in the 2022 draft was fully prepared to head out west to join LeBron James and Luka Doncic on one of the NBA’s most legendary franchises, but now is tasked with the awkward situation of reacclimating to a floundering Charlotte team (13-38) that had made peace with a future without him.
“We are excited to welcome Mark back to our Hornets organization,” the Hornets said in a team statement. “After the other team aggressively pursued Mark, we made the difficult decision to move him. We have always held great respect for Mark’s talent, work ethic, and character. We are thrilled to see him rejoin our roster as a dynamic presence at the starting center position. His return strengthens our team, and we look forward to the impact he will make on and off the court.”
This season, Williams has averaged 15.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks despite shooting a career-worst 58.6% from the field. He has shown flashes of greatness — scoring a career-high 38 points in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 22, 2024 — but has also demonstrated a concerning defensive effort when battling in the paint against opposing centers.
Looming over everything, his availability has been a near-constant concern as he has played in just 23 games this season due to a foot injury; he was limited to just 19 games last season due to a back issue that derailed his sophomore season.
Since being drafted in 2022, Williams has missed almost two-thirds of the Hornets’ games with a varied combination of back, ankle, knee and foot injuries. While it became the immediate talking point at the time of the voided trade, Williams’ back was not the reason for the failed physical, according to reporting from ESPN’s Shams Charania.
There are other ramifications of the seven-footer returning to Charlotte after stepping one foot out the door.
Assuming they would need a new center, the Hornets had already agreed to a trade with Phoenix that would send forward Cody Martin, guard Vasilije Micic, and a 2026 second-round pick to the Suns in exchange for big man Jusuf Nurkic and a 2026 first-round pick.
Nurkic was tentatively set to be Charlotte’s second-string center following the recent emergence of Moussa Diabate, who was signed to a three-year NBA contract on Sunday after averaging 4.7 points and 7.1 rebounds this season for the Hornets.
Now, Williams is back in the fold, returning to a roster where his health status will determine whether or not he immediately receives the same minutes he had prior to the botched trade attempt.
“We’ve had some good conversations,” Charlotte coach Charles Lee said of Williams on Monday afternoon. “We are all excited to have Mark back with the group. I think that we’re still just working through some things, but the hope is for him to rejoin us as soon as possible.”
Later that night, ESPN reported that the Hornets have been in contact with the NBA “as they explore options to dispute the Los Angeles Lakers’ failed physical assessment of Mark Williams.”
