Hornets Welcome Back Mark Williams, Say He’ll Start: ‘Thrilled To See Him Rejoin’

For a minute there, Mark Williams was no longer a member of the Charlotte Hornets. Now, he is again — after the Los Angeles Lakers rescinded their trade for Williams, agreed on before the NBA deadline on Thursday.

So the Hornets put out a release to soften what is surely a bit of awkwardness, welcoming Williams back to the organization.

“After the other team aggressively pursued Mark, we made the difficult decision to move him,” the statement read. “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.”

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— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) February 9, 2025

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.