Report: Hornets Dispute Voided Lakers Trade, Mark Williams' Failed Physical with NBA

The Charlotte Hornets are attempting to dispute the Los Angeles Lakers' failed physical assessment of Mark Williams that resulted in a rescinded trade on Saturday.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, the Hornets have "been in contact with the NBA" and will "weigh avenues to challenge" Los Angeles failing Williams' physical and reversing the trade.

The Lakers initially sent rookie guard Dalton Knecht, forward Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap to the Hornets in return for Williams ahead of last Thursday's trade deadline.

On Saturday, Charania reported that the deal had been nixed after Williams' physical "showed multiple issues and the team failed him on the exam." Charania noted that the failed physical was not because of Williams' back, which has been an issue for him the last two seasons.

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" and did not trust he could do that after the physical.

Williams, 23, has been productive when healthy this year. He's averaging 15.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game and could have been of use to Los Angeles, which is thin in its front court.

The issue for Williams, however, has been staying on the court. He has played just 129 of the Hornets' 214 games since he was drafted in 2022 due to a plethora of injuries. This year, he's missed 27 games due to back and foot injuries.

If the Hornets are successful in their dispute of Williams' physical, it seems he could be suiting up for the Lakers. Whether in Los Angeles or Charlotte, Williams will look to have a healthy second half of the season.