According to multiple reports, the trade between the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Lakers involving Mark Williams has been rescinded. It is apparently because the Lakers found “multiple issues” on Williams’ physical that are unrelated to the back issue that kept him out all of last season.
Mark Williams' physical with the Lakers showed multiple issues and the team failed him on the exam, sources tell ESPN. The physical was not failed due to his back, however. https://t.co/lY4XrSIlHf
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 9, 2025
I haven’t seen an elaboration on what those non-back related issues are. To me, there are three plausible theories:
- The Hornets knew there were issues with Mark’s long term health and tried to offload him before they became problems.
- Neither team was aware of any underlying health issues with Mark but they were revealed during the physical; the Lakers medical staff could be overreacting to results on scans
- The Lakers got cold feet and found things on the physical they could use to back out of the trade.
I’m skeptical about the idea that a scan can accurately predict the probability of future injury issues, especially for a player that’s been able to play without a problem for the last two months. I have no idea what they could have seen that would scare them from an injury perspective. That’s not necessarily to say the Lakers are being disingenuous about what they’re finding. They could just see things that are scary even if they aren’t really issues.
With the failed physical, the entire trade is voided. Williams comes back to the Horents, Knecht and Reddish go back to the Lakers, and no picks are exchanged between the teams. That’s going to make for some awkward situations in both locker rooms. I’ll be interested to see how the Hornets handle Williams for the rest of the season and what they do in the offseason. In the meantime, Hornets PR has done some damage control.
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) February 9, 2025
