The first major trade on NBA Draft night is here, as the Charlotte Hornets have traded Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns.
Even though their first attempt to trade him didn’t work out, the Charlotte Hornets have pulled off a move for Mark Williams.
The Charlotte Hornets are trading Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for the 29th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and a future first-round pick in 2029.
Williams, many will remember, was traded to the Lakers at the deadline. However, Williams failed a Lakers medical, causing them to rescind the trade.
But that hasn’t deterred the Suns, who gave up some strong draft equity to land the former Duke big man in a trade.
Photo by David Jensen/Getty ImagesFull trade breakdown between Phoenix Suns and Charlotte Hornets
This is what the whole trade looks like:
Phoenix Suns receive: Mark WilliamsCharlotte Hornets: 2025 first-round pick (#29), 2029 first-round pick
This means that the Phoenix Suns have gone from having no centers coming into tonight to now having two centers.
Just moments ago, the Suns picked Khaman Maluach with the 10th overall pick as part of the Kevin Durant trade.
BREAKING: The Charlotte Hornets are trading center Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns for the No. 29 pick tonight and a 2029 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/a6eDDn5aE6
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 26, 2025
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Mark Williams is a massive gamble
Mark Williams was supposed to be a Laker last season. But his failed medical meant that the trade didn’t go through.
There were a lot of questions about why the Lakers pulled the plug on the deal. Even Mark Williams is unsure about the trade failing.
However, the Suns might have a lot of confidence in his health and ability if they traded for him. Especially given what happened this past spring.
But the Suns are a team attempting to rebuild their roster going forward, and might have more patience when it comes to Williams.