The Los Angeles Lakers canceled their trade to acquire Mark Williams from Charlotte after he failed his physical, according to a source who spoke on Saturday night.
The source, who remained anonymous, said that the Lakers did not plan to announce the reason for pulling back the deal publicly.
On Wednesday night, the Lakers agreed to send rookie Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, and some draft considerations to the Hornets for Williams, a 23-year-old center who is in his third year in the NBA. Williams, a former first-round pick, was seen as a potential replacement for Anthony Davis, who was traded to Dallas along with Max Christie for superstar Luka Doncic.
The trade would have also sent the Lakers’ 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap to Charlotte.
However, the Lakers decided to cancel the trade after learning more about Williams’ injury history. He has struggled with back issues and other injuries, playing only 84 out of 212 possible NBA games in his three seasons.
In a statement on social media, the Hornets said, “We are excited to welcome Mark back to our Hornets organization. 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 Lakers had no concerns about the trade initially, according to general manager Rob Pelinka. Coach JJ Redick, who knows Williams personally as they both played at Duke, said on Thursday, “Just feel like he’s a really good fit now, and he’s a really good fit for the future.”
The cancellation of the trade adds to the uncertainty surrounding the Lakers, who have won five straight and 11 of their last 13 games despite many roster changes.
On Saturday, the Lakers beat Indiana 124-117, even without LeBron James and Doncic.
Now, the Lakers are left without a proven big man to play next to Jaxson Hayes, who was expected to move to the bench after Williams’ arrival. Against the Pacers, the backup center was 6-foot-10 Trey Jemison III, who has played for four different teams in the past two seasons and joined the Lakers less than a month ago.
The Lakers may look to the buyout market for veteran big men, but it doesn’t seem like a promising option. The Lakers also lost the roster spot they created by trading two players for Williams. However, they could get help from within the team.
Christian Wood has missed the entire season due to knee surgery in September, and while there hasn’t been a recent update on his return, he wasn’t expected to miss the whole season initially.
Jemison and backup big man Christian Koloko are on two-way contracts, meaning they wouldn’t be eligible for the playoffs.
Without Knecht and Reddish, the Lakers’ wing depth is thinner. Knecht, who was a strong shooter with a 37-point game earlier in the season, struggled defensively and had limited playing time before the trade.
