Details On Lakers’ Decision To Rescind Mark Williams Trade With Hornets

The Los Angeles Lakers have announced that their NBA trade agreement to acquire center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets has been rescinded, as relayed by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

Los Angeles cited Charlotte’s failure to meet one of the trade’s conditions as the reason for the reversal.

Sources confirmed to ESPN’s Shams Charania that Williams failed his physical with the Lakers due to “multiple issues,” though none of the concerns are related to the back injury that caused him to miss much of the previous NBA season.

In the initial deal, which was announced on Thursday, the Lakers sent rookie wing Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, and future draft assets — a 2023 first-round pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap — to Charlotte in exchange for Williams.

However, the trade remained conditional on both players passing physicals and reporting to their respective teams, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

With the trade now voided and the deadline passed, the Lakers will retain their full 15-man roster, now $1.6 million below the second apron.

The Hornets, meanwhile, will have 14 players on standard contracts, plus Elfrid Payton, who signed a 10-day deal on Friday under the hardship exception.

This setback leaves the Lakers without the help they had sought in the center position after sending Anthony Davis to Dallas in the Luka Doncic deal. While LA has won three consecutive games since the trade, concerns remain about their lack of a proven center capable of rebounding and protecting the rim.

Jaxson Hayes has moved into the starting lineup in Davis’ absence, contributing nine points and 12 rebounds in 29 minutes during a recent win over Indiana. Trey Jemison, who joined the team on a two-way contract, also saw significant minutes off the bench and could continue to play a role going forward.

General manager Rob Pelinka had hoped that the deal with Charlotte would address the Lakers’ need for a long-term solution in the middle, but with the trade now rescinded, the search for a reliable center may become a top priority this offseason.