Lakers-Hornets trade nixed; Williams fails physical

Lakers-Hornets deal nixed; Williams fails physical, sources say

Dave McMenaminFeb 8, 2025, 09:12 PM ET

Lakers and NBA reporter for ESPN.
Covered the Lakers and NBA for ESPNLosAngeles.com from 2009-14, the Cavaliers from 2014-18 for ESPN.com and the NBA for NBA.com from 2005-09.LOS ANGELES — The Lakers’ trade with the Charlotte Hornets for Mark Williams was rescinded Saturday, according to the Lakers, after the 7-foot center failed L.A.’s physical exam, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Williams’ physical with the Lakers showed multiple issues, and the team failed him on the exam, sources said. The physical was not failed due to his back, however.

Williams has played in only 85 out of a possible 212 games through his first two and a half seasons with the Hornets (40.1%). Los Angeles was confident in his medicals, sources told ESPN at the time the trade was agreed upon.

Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager, Rob Pelinka, discussed the trade Thursday night with confidence in the acquisition, while acknowledging that a physical would need to occur.

“We fully vetted his health stuff, led by Dr. Kris Jones at UCLA Health and Dr. Leroy Sims on our team and he’s had no surgeries,” Pelinka said. “So these are just parts of, he’s still growing into his body. We vetted the injuries he’s had and we’re not concerned about those. We will have a chance to have a physical and continue to do a deep dive and make sure that what we’ve talked about and seen in the [electronic medical records]. … So we’ll still have that step in the process of doing a full physical before the trade becomes official.”

Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht along with Cam Reddish, a 2030 pick swap and L.A.’s 2031 first-round pick was the return going to Charlotte. The trade was agreed to Wednesday night and became official on a trade call to the league office Thursday after L.A.’s 120-112 win over the Golden State Warriors.

Because the deadline has passed, the trade was not allowed to be amended to account for whatever new medical information the Lakers may have discovered in their evaluation of Williams.

Williams was listed as questionable for the Lakers’ 124-117 win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. When asked before the game if Williams would play, Lakers coach JJ Redick said, “The trade is still pending so no answer there.”

The deal was supposed to give L.A. a vertical spacing big man to play alongside Luka Doncic, while also opening a roster spot for the Lakers to pursue another player on the buyout market.