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[Saba Sports News] The Los Angeles Lakers recently backed out of a trade that would have brought in center Mark Williams, and his agent is not happy with how the situation unfolded.
The Lakers had initially acquired Williams from the Charlotte Hornets in a trade on Feb. 5, sending Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, an unprotected 2031 first-round pick, and 2030 pick swap rights to Charlotte.
With Anthony Davis having been dealt for Luka Dončić, the Lakers saw Williams as a solution at center. However, on Feb. 10, the Lakers rescinded the trade after their medical staff flagged multiple issues during Williams’ physical.
Williams’ agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, strongly disagrees with the decision. Speaking to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Schwartz stated that multiple nationally recognized doctors have confirmed there was no valid reason for L.A. to fail Williams on his physical.
“The overwhelming sentiment, after conferring with multiple, nationally recognized doctors, is that the Los Angeles Lakers should not have failed Mark Williams on his physical,” Schwartz said.
Williams himself expressed shock earlier this week, insisting he is fully healthy and that all his previous injuries have been well-documented.
The 7-foot center played 25 minutes for Charlotte in their 112-102 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on the night of the trade, contributing 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists.
So far this season, Williams has appeared in 23 games, averaging 15.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 0.7 steals per contest. Selected 15th overall by Charlotte in the 2022 NBA Draft out of Duke, Williams has struggled with injuries throughout his career, playing just 85 games over three seasons due to recurring back issues.
With the trade rescinded, Williams remains with the Hornets, while questions linger over the Lakers’ handling of the situation and their evaluation process.