Mark Williams Trade to Lakers Rescinded as Hornets Fail to Satisfy Condition of Deal

The Los Angeles Lakers' trade for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams was rescinded on Saturday, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

The Lakers announced that the trade was rescinded "due to failure to satisfy a condition of the trade," per NBA insider Marc Stein.

Los Angeles initially agreed to acquire Williams from Charlotte in exchange for rookie Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap prior to Thursday's trade deadline.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne noted that the Lakers "needed to feel confident he'd be healthy enough to be their starting center for the next 5-10 years" but did not believe that Williams would be able to do so following the physical.

The 23-year-old has been plagued by health issues since the Hornets selected him with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft.

Williams appeared in just 43 games as a rookie due to an ankle sprain as well as a thumb injury that eventually required surgery. He was also limited to 19 games during the 2023-24 season due to a back injury.

Williams has played in 23 games to open his 2024-25 campaign, missing time with foot and back issues. Charania noted that his back injury wasn't the reason behind his failed physical, though.

It's disappointing for Los Angeles that the trade fell through, but the team still had a successful trade deadline. The Lakers pulled off one of the most shocking swaps in NBA history, acquiring Luka Dončić in a three-team deal involving the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz.

Knecht should also continue to thrive while playing off Dončić and LeBron James, as he averaged 9.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game on 46.5/35.8/82.5 shooting splits to start his rookie year.

Jaxson Hayes will likely continue to operate as Los Angeles' starting center moving forward.

As the Lakers prepare for the debut of Dončić, Williams will be heading back to Charlotte.