CHARLOTTE — After one of the strangest NBA trade debacles in recent memory, third-year starting center Mark Williams is back with the Charlotte Hornets as the team looks to wrap up the final third of its season.
The 23-year-old big man was originally sent to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for rookie Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, a first-round swap in 2030, and an unprotected first-round pick in 2031.
However, the Lakers then opted to rescind the move because of a “failure to satisfy a condition of the trade” after Williams allegedly failed a physical with multiple issues.
Williams’ agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, is now disputing the series of events, claiming that the trade involving his client should not have been rescinded at all.
“The overwhelming sentiment, after conferring with multiple, nationally recognized doctors, is that the Los Angeles Lakers should not have failed Mark Williams on his physical,” Schwartz wrote in a recent statement. “Mark was ready and able to play for them and should have been given that opportunity.”
Schwartz’s defense of Williams arrived just two days after the Hornets (14-41) pieced together a 100-97 road victory over the Lakers (34-21), snapping a six-game losing skid. Williams had 10 points and nine rebounds in his return to the court after not playing since early February.
“It felt good, back like I never left,” Charlotte’s 15th overall pick in the 2022 draft said after the victory. “The last however many days have been crazy but I’m just happy to be back playing. It was pretty ironic I got to play the Lakers the first game back and I’m glad we got the win.”
The Hornets’ 7-footer reflected the voided trade that would have sent him out west to join LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
“It’s tough when you go from getting traded, thinking you’re going to LA, and then they choose to fail me on my physical. You have to shift your mind back,” Williams said. “I’m back with the guys in Charlotte, and tonight I got to play and show them, so I was happy I was able to do that…I’ve been here my whole career so far, so players and staff welcoming me back was pretty seamless in that regard.”
When asked about the specifics of his failed physical, the former Duke star noted that didn’t inquire into the details of the matter.
“I didn’t really want to hear anything, to be honest with you. I didn’t think there was any world where I could fail my physical. Every time that I’ve been out, it’s been documented. I don’t know if, for them, it was what they gave up, or what went into that reasoning, but I don’t think it was solely because of my physical. I’ve been playing all year and I think my minutes and my production on the court speaks for itself.”
While Williams is now back wearing purple and teal after envisioning himself in purple and gold, his availability throughout the rest of the 2024-25 campaign remains unknown as Charlotte treads carefully with his on-court usage.
He was held out of last Thursday’s road matchup in Denver (37-20) as he continued to progress through a return to competition conditioning, but he returned to the floor on Saturday (10 points, five rebounds) as the Hornets were handed a debilitating 141-88 loss in Portland (24-33).
Williams was then ruled out of an appearance in Charlotte’s Monday night road game against the Kings (28-28) due to “left foot injury management.”
Charlotte’s Jusuf Nurkic and Moussa Diabate have both seen increased playing time during the contests where Williams has been sidelined.
Averaging 15.1 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game this season, Williams has been effective in the limited action he has seen this season, although his fluctuating health status and struggles guarding opposing centers have been floated as possible reasons as to why Charlotte’s front office agreed to the initial trade with the Lakers in the first place.
As for Williams’ future in the Queen City, he is hoping to prove that Charlotte should have never been willing to trade him in the first place: “The rest of the way I’m just going to try and continue to show the player that I am, and I feel like I’ve been doing that all year.”
Charlotte is set to begin a five-game homestand in the Spectrum Center starting with a visit from Washington (9-47) on Saturday night.
