In a shocking development for the Lakers, their trade for Hornets center Mark Williams is being called off with all players set to return to their respective teams. According to Jovan Buha, the reason is due to Williams failing to meet a condition of the deal.
Williams, 23, was part of a two-team trade that sent him to the Lakers for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2030 first-round pick swap, and a 2031 unprotected first-round pick to the Hornets.
Highly rated for his defensive versatility, Williams was next up in line to play center and start alongside Luka Doncic. But fans suspect that a failure to pass his physical may have prevented the trade from going through. Part of the conditions of the deal was that each player had to be physically up to par but Williams did not meet those standards. All we know for sure is that the Lakers were displeased with the trade and they called it off at the last minute and they felt strongly enough to call it off entirely.
It was only minutes after the initial announcement that Shams Charania revealed Williams’ failed physical. For issues unrelated to his back, the Lakers failed his exam and set in motion the process of rescinding the widely praised deal.
Now, Williams will head back to Charlotte where his future remains uncertain. The Lakers get to welcome their prized rookie, Dalton Knecht, back into the fold along with Reddish and the picks but now they don’t have any reliable center to start alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
With the trade deadline over, the trade cannot go through anytime soon and both teams will have to wait until the end of the season before trying again.
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