The nixed Lakers-Hornets Mark Williams trade heads to arbitration. Here’s what’s next

This is a drama-filled mess with only one loser.

One of the most bizarre NBA stories has been simmering under the surface for the past five days. A big-time trade, rejected under unique circumstances, now leaving two teams without pieces they need, the trade deadline over, and the gripe heading to court.

At the NBA trade deadline the Lakers made a big deal for their assumed center of the future, sending Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, and a future first round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams. Williams, a true seven-footer with a massive wingspan had been averaging 15.6 points and 9.6 rebounds for Charlotte, and it was assumed he’d plug in alongside LeBron James and Luka Doncic as part of the Lakers playoff push.

Then, two days after the trade was agreed to, the Lakers pulled out. Rejecting the deal and saying that Williams had failed his physical, rendering the deal null and void. The announcement was met with jeers from Lakers fans who accused the Hornets or trying to sell damaged goods, while Charlotte is saying they’re mystified by the failed physical — not so subtly suggesting this was just buyer’s remorse kicking in.

At the center of all this was Williams. A 23-year-old center whose name is in headlines for all the wrong reasons, and now sits unfairly at the crossroads of his career after being labeled nationally as “damaged goods.”

Here’s how this whole scenario broke down, and where’s it’s destined to be headed.

The Hornets started the proceedings

Charlotte always had an interest in Dalton Knecht. In fact, the team were seriously considering drafting him with the No. 6 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft before choosing instead to take Tidjane Salaun out of France with an eye on building for the future.

Meanwhile Mark Williams no longer fit in the vision for the team, with head coach Charles Lee increasingly wanting to play the more defensive-minded Moussa Diabate at the five, leaving the bulk of scoring to his guards and Miles Bridges.

Knowing the Lakers had a need in this front court, the Hornets reportedly called the Lakers and dangled Williams as a potential trade piece in return for Knecht. Fresh off two double-doubles in the lead up to the deadline, including a massive 20 point, 15 rebound night against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, it seemed like a solid move for Los Angeles.

The pieces were worked out, Charlotte sent Lakers GM Rob Pelinka the medicals on Williams, and paperwork was filed with the league office to make the deal official.

Reaction to the trade is mixed

Following up on an earth-shattering deal like Luka Doncic is always a sobering comedown, but the prevailing thought on the Williams trade was that the Lakers gave up a lot for a player with an injury history.

Losing Knecht was one thing, but Knecht, Reddish, AND a first round pick was viewed as being very risky considering Williams might not last the rigors of a full workload.

The failed physical

On February. 8, just two days after agreeing to the trade — the Lakers stunned everyone by announcing they were rescinding the deal, saying Williams failed his team physical. There are two elements to this which are important:

• Team doctors have the sole discretion to call off a trade even if there’s a risk of future injury, not just a present issue.
• The entire nature of team physicals on trades are iffy, and in the past players have suggested that the physical process is simply a means by which teams have a final out if they get cold feet on a trade.

The fallout

Hornets doctors claim that Williams was cleared to play and had no issues, with their evidence being that he played significant minutes in 16-of-19 games in the lead up to the trade. The Lakers have not explained why they failed Williams, only that they did.

As a result the Hornets are challenging the trade being cancelled in court, which in the case of the NBA is more like a form of arbitration, with the association serving as judge and jury. There is almost no chance the NBA will force the trade to go through. The Lakers operated to the letter of the law, even if their motives weren’t entirely based on Williams’ health.

In short: It would require a momentous change in procedure for the NBA to force the deal through, with former NBA executive Bobby Marks saying he’s “99.9% sure” the NBA will side will the Lakers, despite the Hornets’ protest.

Mark Williams has been done dirty by all this

This is an absolute mess. The Hornets now have to try and bring Williams back into the fold after trading him, the Lakers are unquestionably worse without a center or a means to acquire a decent one — but the biggest victim is Mark Williams.

The 23-year-old now risks potentially being branded as “injury riddled,” shortly before he’s set to hit restricted free agency. The trade being cancelled could have cost him millions of dollars or more on the open marker, where he’ll now likely need to sign lower-value deal to account for worries about his health.

If there are indeed some serious concerns with Williams that the Lakers had then it should be made known. If this was simply a tactic to deal with their buyer’s remorse then the entire structure of trades needs to be looked at more carefully. It’s wild that the NBPA would allow its members to have their futures destroyed by this process, which may or may not be influenced by factors beyond the medical, without an independent third-party doctor on retainer to solve disputes like this when they arise.

It’s all just a deeply unfortunate situation for a promising young NBA player.