Mark Williams didn’t think failing his physical was even possible: ‘The night I got traded I played hella minutes’

Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

Ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a deal for a player who was expected to help fill the hole left by big man Anthony Davis’ departure. The Lakers were supposed to acquire Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams, with rookie Dalton Knecht, wing Cam Reddish and draft capital heading to Charlotte.

However, the trade was rescinded after Williams allegedly failed his physical. According to Williams, the possibility of failing the physical never crossed his mind, and he noted that he logged plenty of playing time not long before the trade was agreed to.

“I didn’t think I had failed my physical,” Williams said. “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.”

The Lakers could have benefited quite a bit from Williams’ skill set. He’s been a very effective interior scorer and rebounder across 23 games played with the Hornets this season.

Williams is shooting 74.0 percent at the rim so far in his third season in the league and also pulling down 9.6 rebounds per game and a whopping 13.8 per 36 minutes.

But acquiring him wouldn’t have come without question marks. Namely, the best ability is availability, yet Williams can’t seem to stay healthy for any long period of time at the NBA level. Since being selected with the first non-lottery pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, Williams hasn’t logged more than 43 appearances in a season.

Lakers fans can also take solace in the fact that because the trade was rescinded, Knecht is still a member of the team. The neophyte has made a real impact with Los Angeles in his inaugural NBA season, including as a floor spacer, as he’s shooting 36.0 percent from deep on 4.5 attempts per game.

It’s worth mentioning that Williams could soon play against the team he thought he was getting moved to. He is listed as probable to play in Wednesday’s bout between Charlotte and Los Angeles.

Perhaps the nixed trade will give Williams extra motivation to play at a high level against the Lakers. It should be interesting to see how he fares should he play in his first game in a little while. Williams last took the floor against the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 5 and totaled six points, five rebounds and a pair of assists.