Suns Acquire Mark Williams in Shocking Draft Night Blockbuster Deal

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Ricardo Sandoval is a Newsweek contributor based in Los Angeles, CA. His focus is sports content. Ricardo has been with Newsweek since 2024 and also writes for On SI for the Lakers, Bucks, Celtics, Pacers, and Trail Blazers sites. Ricardo also is a staff writer for Dodgers Nation. He is a graduate of California State University Northridge. You can get in touch with Ricardo by emailing r.klein@newsweek.com. You can also follow Ricardo on X @_RicardoSand

Ricardo Klein

Contributing Sports Writer

🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.

The Phoenix Suns have acquired center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for the No. 29 pick on Wednesday and a 2029 first-round pick.

ESPN’s Shams Charania shared the news via X.

Vasilije Micic is also a part of the deal.

Williams will now head to the Western Conference after spending his first three years of his career in Charlotte. The Hornets traded Williams to the Los Angeles Lakers in early February as part of a trade deal. However, that trade was rescinded after he failed the Lakers’ physical.

Williams didn’t hold back when speaking to the media, expressing that he believed the Lakers had bigger concerns than just his health back in February.

“I didn’t think I had failed my physical. That didn’t even cross my mind. The night I got traded I played hella minutes. I didn’t think in any world that was possible. Since I’ve been back at the start of the year, I’ve played games with a lot of minutes. I feel like every injury I’ve had has been well-documented and I’ve recovered, and been 100% since. So, I don’t know what went into that decision. I think that’s up to them.”

It would have been a move that could have helped the Lakers, but they had worried about his long-term health. The 23-year-old has spent his entire career with the Hornets, and now he goes to the Valley of the Sun.

This trade marks the second exchange between the Hornets and Suns, who have engaged in a trade with each other this past season. Prior to the trade deadline this year, the Hornets dealt center Nick Richards to the Suns.

Not only do the Suns now have Williams on their side, but they get one of the top centers in the draft, Khaman Maluach, with the 10th overall pick.

Williams played in 44 games this season and has played in a total of 106 games in his first three seasons of a possible 246 games. The former Duke Blue Devil, who stands at seven feet tall and finished the season averaging 15.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 26.6 minutes of action.

Williams was the No. 15 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

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For more on the Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Hornets and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.

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