The Lakers won’t be returning to the scene of the crime, so to speak, this offseason.
After his trade to the Lakers was rescinded 48 hours after the deadline in February, Mark Williams will find a new home in Phoenix next season. The Hornets and Suns agreed to a deal that will send Williams out west in return for the No. 29 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and a 2029 first round pick, as reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.
BREAKING: The Charlotte Hornets are trading center Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns for the No. 29 pick tonight and a 2029 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/a6eDDn5aE6
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 26, 2025
It might have been unlikely for the Lakers and Hornets to work together on a deal this summer given how poorly things went down during the season. However, as much as Charlotte may protest, Williams was eventually traded for less than the Lakers initially agreed to.
The initial trade between the Lakers and Hornets sent Dalton Knecht, a 2031 first round pick and a 2030 pick swap — as well as Cam Reddish — to Charlotte for Williams. While the pick swap would have been unlikely to convey, Knecht was a prospect held in high regard at that point in the season.
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