The previously announced deal which would have seen Hornets centre Mark Williams head to the Los Angeles Lakers has officially been rescinded the clubs announced.
As a condition of the trade, Williams had to pass a physical, which evidently showed enough areas of concern for the Lakers to pull out of the deal. The full trade would have seen LA add Williams in exchange for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2030 pick swap, and a 2031 unprotected 1st rounder.
Instead, all players involved will head back to their original teams.
While the official announcement was simply that the deal had fallen through “due to a failure to satisfy a condition of the trade”, insiders report that multiple issues popped up in Williams’ physical examination which gave the Lakers front office pause.
The 23 year old big man has suited up for only 85 out of a possible 212 games with Charlotte since being drafted. Williams had dealt with back issues in the past, but reports suggest that it wasn’t the former Duke standout’s back which was what ultimately caused the deal to fall apart.
A first round pick back in 2022, Williams’ medicals were believed to be in order prior to the deal being completed. However, Lakers executive Rob Pelinka did say they would have a 3rd party vet the 7 footer prior to making the deal official.
Whatever it was that this group discovered, it was enough to back out of the deal which would have added some sorely needed size to LA’s front court in the wake of the Anthony Davis deal. With the trade deadline now in the rearview mirror, the two teams can no longer modify the original deal to get it across the finish line, leading to a full reset of the initial swap.
“After the other team aggressively pursued Mark, we made the difficult decision to move him,” the Hornets said in a statement. “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.”
With Williams out of the picture, that now leaves LA with Jaxson Hayes, Trey Jemison III, and Christian Koloko as options at centre. Christian Wood has yet to suit up for a game after suffering a setback in his rehab from a knee injury.
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