Lakers’ Blockbuster Trade for Mark Williams Rescinded in Shocking Twist

The Los Angeles Lakers’ trade deadline deal with the Charlotte Hornets for center Mark Williams has been rescinded in a shocking twist.

Read more: Lakers’ Reasoning for Rescinding Mark Williams Trade Revealed

The Lakers announced Saturday night that they have rescinded the trade due to the Hornets’ failure to satisfy a condition of the deal.

The trade was going to send Williams to Los Angeles for rookie guard Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, a 2030 first-round pick swap, and a 2031 unprotected first-round pick.

Now, Knecht and Reddish will return to Los Angeles, while Williams heads back to Charlotte.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks provided more information on the surprising turn of events.

“The trade was conditional on Mark Williams and Dalton Knecht reporting and passing a physical,” Marks wrote on X.

“Because the deadline has passed, the trade was not allowed to be amended.”

While it’s currently unknown what caused the Lakers to rescind the trade, Williams does have a lengthy medical history across his first two-plus years in the NBA.

During his rookie year, Williams played in just 43 games due to multiple ankle sprains and a thumb injury, which he ended up undergoing offseason surgery to repair.

Then, during his second season, Williams dealt with back issues, and ended up missing a total of 63 games.

This year, Williams had only appeared in 23 games due to foot and knee injuries.

Despite the injury history, the Lakers were excited about Williams, as he was a perfect fit as a lob threat for LeBron James and the newly acquired Luka Doncic. However, with the deadline now passed, the Lakers are without a legitimate big man.

After trading Anthony Davis, the lone big men on the Lakers’ roster are Jaxson Hayes, Christian Koloko, and Trey Jemison III. Potential stretch fives include Markieff Morris and Christian Wood, although the latter hasn’t played this season due to offseason knee surgery.

The Lakers, winners of nine of their last 10 games, were looking like a championship-caliber team following their deadline acquisitions. However, without Williams, the Lakers have a clear hole at the center position, which won’t be easy to overcome in a Western Conference loaded with talented big man including Nikola Jokic, Chet Holmgren, Victor Wembanyama, and, of course, Anthony Davis, who the Lakers traded to Dallas in the deadline’s most shocking move.

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