Former Duke basketball center Mark Williams was involved in a blockbuster trade overnight just before the NBA trade deadline that would have sent him from the Charlotte Hornets to the Los Angeles Lakers. Williams was one of three former Blue Devils involved in big time deals on the same night, but Williams will no longer be on the move.
Williams was set to be dealt to the Lakers for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first round pick, and a 2030 pick swap per Shams Charania. The Hornets received a pretty big package for the center, and Williams was set to be the Lakers lob threat to newly acquired Luka Dončić for the next decade.
However, the trade has now been rescinded after Williams failed a physical and "due to failure to satisfy a condition of the trade," the Lakers announced.
Williams is in his third season in the NBA after being drafted by Charlotte 15th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. Injuries have plagued him his entire career as the big man has played in just 84 of a possible 212 NBA games through his career.
He missed the first 20 games of this season with a left foot tendon strain he endured at fall training camp, but has been great since coming back.
Williams is averaging15.6 points. 9.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks a night on 58.6% shooting from the field this season. The Lakers bet on his talent and him staying healthy, giving up a king's ransom to get him.
Now with a failed physical keeping Williams in Charlotte, it's the worst sign possible for the trajectory of Williams' career in the NBA. On top of the failed physical itself, it's been reported there were several issues.
"Mark Williams' physical with the Lakers showed multiple issues and the team failed him on the exam," Charania announced.
Charania noted that the issues have nothing to do with Williams' back which has been a bother, but there is still more than one issue nonetheless.
Williams now stays in Charlotte with hopes to stay healthy and keep his career moving forward.
"We are excited to welcome Mark back to our Hornets organization," Charlotte announced after Los Angeles rescinded the trade. "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.
The second half of this season will speak dividends on Williams' NBA career trajectory, as his health is clearly still a major concern. His minutes will remain heavy as the starting center in Charlotte, and whether Williams can get through the rest of this season healthy or not will play a big role in how his career goes moving forward.
The Lakers made it really difficult for the Hornets to pass down on the offer with a talented rookie and a first round pick, but it seemed clear before the trade that the 23-year old Williams was going to be the Hornets' center for the next decade after Charlotte traded Nick Richards to the Phoenix Suns earlier this season.
The willingness of Charlotte to make this deal shows potential worry in Williams' long term potential with his lengthy injury history. LA was willing to take that on, but now it stays Charlotte's responsibility to maximize Williams' game and health.