Mark Williams Finally Opens Up About the Trade That Never Was

For a brief moment last February, Mark Williams believed he was on his way to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Charlotte Hornets center had been included in a trade package that promised a fresh start on one of the league’s most storied stages.

That move, however, never materialized. The transaction was voided after Williams did not pass his physical, abruptly halting what he viewed as a pivotal step in his career.

Now with the Phoenix Suns, Williams has spoken publicly for the first time about how that reversal affected him, offering a candid — and blunt — assessment of the situation during a recent podcast appearance.

His words shed light on the personal side of NBA transactions, where deals that appear routine on social media can carry significant emotional weight for the players involved.

1. I Thought I Could Help Them

During his appearance on The Old Man and the Three, Williams did not mask his disappointment, summing up his reaction to the Lakers in unfiltered terms. He explained that he had genuinely looked forward to joining the organization. “I was excited to go there,” Williams said, adding that he believed he could have filled a meaningful role for a team chasing postseason success. The opportunity to play in Los Angeles, he suggested, represented more than just a jersey change. For a young center still carving out his identity in the league, it felt like validation. That sense of opportunity, once taken away, lingered far longer than the initial news cycle surrounding the rescinded deal.

2. From Trade Fallout to Playoff Trolling

Williams admitted that his frustration did not fade quietly. When the Lakers were eliminated from the 2025 playoffs, he took to social media with a cryptic smiley-face post. Looking back, he acknowledged the intent behind it. He described the gesture as a moment of “hating,” born directly from how the trade process unfolded. The admission highlighted the complicated relationship players often have with teams that nearly acquire them — connected by a what-if scenario that never quite disappears. In Williams’ case, the trolling was less about rivalry and more about processing disappointment in a very public way.

3. From Charlotte to Phoenix

The aborted trade would have sent Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and future draft picks to Charlotte in exchange for Williams. Instead, the Hornets ultimately moved him elsewhere during the summer. Phoenix emerged as the destination, acquiring Williams for a future pick along with Vasilije Micic and Liam McNeeley. The change of scenery provided a new platform, even if it lacked the star power of Los Angeles. Nearly a year removed from the rescinded deal, Williams is carving out a productive role with the Suns. Through the early portion of the 2025–26 season, he is averaging 13.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and nearly a block per game while shooting better than 66 percent from the field. Those numbers suggest that while the Lakers chapter never opened, Williams has found stability — and perhaps perspective — in Phoenix, even as the memory of that missed opportunity still resonates.