Abdelrahman
Dave McMenamin
Almost two weeks after the Los Angeles Lakers canceled their trade for center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets due to his failure to pass the physical with L.A., Williams’ agent released a statement challenging the Lakers’ decision.
“After consulting with several nationally recognized doctors, the consensus is clear: The Los Angeles Lakers should not have failed Mark Williams on his physical examination,” said Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management in the statement. “Mark was prepared to play for them and deserved that chance.”
In response to Schwartz’s remarks, the Lakers opted not to comment when approached by ESPN.
In his first game back on the court against the Lakers, Williams contributed 10 points, nine rebounds, and two assists over 29 minutes, helping Charlotte secure a 100-97 victory. This marked Williams’ initial game action for the Hornets since the aborted trade, which initially involved L.A. sending rookie forward Dalton Knecht, a 2030 pick swap, and a first-round pick for 2031 to acquire the skilled 23-year-old center.
Having been absent since February 5 due to listed “return to play conditioning” concerns, Williams was upgraded to available status for the game.
A third-year player, Williams is currently averaging 15.3 points with an impressive shooting percentage of 58.1%, alongside 9.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists this season. He remarked to Fox Sports on Wednesday that he believed health concerns were not the only factor that led to the Lakers pulling out of the deal.
“I don’t think it was just about my physical,” Williams shared. “I felt I could have added value to their team, but I suppose they had their doubts.”
LeBron James, who made a notable dunk against Williams during Wednesday’s game, commented on the unique situation of facing the center shortly after the trade that never was.
Following the cancellation of the trade, the Lakers have been tasked with readjusting their lineup. They integrated Knecht back into the rotation and sought additional depth at the center position by releasing Christian Wood, who was out this season due to knee surgery, to sign 7-foot center Alex Len, who was waived by the Sacramento Kings. In his two games with L.A., Len has averaged 2.0 points on 40% shooting and 4.0 rebounds across 16.0 minutes.
On Thursday, Williams shared a series of photos on Instagram, including an image of him driving to the rim against the Lakers. He included a powerful caption: “There’s always peace when you know the truth.”
