The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly rescinded their trade to acquire center Mark Williams after he failed his physical, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity Saturday (February 8) night.
The source spoke anonymously because the Lakers reportedly didn't plan to reveal their reason for scrapping the trade publicly, according to the Associated Press. The trade agreed to on Wednesday (February 5) night would've sent rookie Dalton Knecht, veteran Cam Reddish and draft considerations, which included a first-round pick swap in 2030 and a first-round pick in 2031, to the Hornets in exchange for Williams.
Los Angeles has a need for a center following the trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Dončić. Williams is averaging 15.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game during the 2024-25 season, his third as an NBA player.
"We are excited to welcome Mark back to our Hornets organization after the other team aggressively pursued Mark," the Hornets said in a statement shared Saturday night. "We made the difficult decision to move him. We have always held great respect for Mark's talent, work ethic, and character. We are thrilled to see him rejoin our roster as a dynamic presence at the starting center position. HIs return strengthens our team, and we look forward to the impact he will make on and off the court."