Charlotte Hornets’ biggest mistake at 2025 NBA trade deadline

At the trade deadline, the NBA world was shocked when news broke of the Los Angeles Lakers’ decision to trade away Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 first-round pick (unprotected) and a 2030 unprotected pick swap in exchange for Mark Williams. With Anthony Davis now playing for the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers had a gaping hole in the middle that they looked to fill with the addition of the 23-year-old center.

Williams, of course, came with his fair share of risks. He dealt with a nagging back injury last year that kept him out for all but 19 games, and he was not immediately available to start the season due to a foot injury. Back and foot injuries are just about as bad as it can get for a big man, and Williams is only 23 years of age.

The Lakers’ risk was lauded, however. Williams is a young player who could very well get over his early-career injury woes, and the Lakers, armed with the confidence of a brighter post-LeBron James future, decided that their 2031 first-round pick won’t be as valuable as it would have been had they not acquired Luka Doncic.

For the Hornets, trading Williams for that haul is quite a win. Williams has had moments when he’s looked very dominant, but the last thing the Hornets franchise needed is someone who couldn’t suit up considering the injury problems their entire roster has been having.

Alas, lady luck did not smile kindly towards them. The Lakers nixed the trade because of Williams’ questionable physical, and now, the Hornets have no choice but to welcome Williams back.

While none of this is a mistake, per se, having the trade get rescinded is a major loss for the Hornets. Make no mistake about it, Williams is a good young player with plenty of room to grow. But with the roster still in flux, having the opportunity to turn Williams into assets that could pay off in the long run, not to mention acquiring a rookie sharpshooter in Knecht, could have been brilliant in terms of asset maximization.

This was a huge missed opportunity for the Hornets, and now, with the Lakers refusing to push through with their trade for Williams, it’s not quite clear if Charlotte can get anything close to what they would have gotten from the Purple and Gold considering the health concerns every team will be having towards the young center.

Charlotte still did well

While the failed Mark Williams trade is a missed opportunity, the Hornets did well to capitalize on the other chances they had to acquire assets. In particular, they helped themselves more in the process of helping the Phoenix Suns continue their relentless win-now chase . The first trade they made was to send Nick Richards in exchange for Josh Okogie and three second-round picks — a good return for Richards, the 27-year-old center.

And then the best move they pulled off was their trade for Jusuf Nurkic. Nurkic’s value went straight to the toilet after the Suns benched him in favor of Mason Plumlee, of all players. Thus, trading him away required the Suns to part ways with a first-round pick. The Hornets gladly swooped in, acquiring a 2026 first-round pick while absorbing Nurkic and his bloated salary.

For the moment, this is as good of a trade as it can get for the Hornets as they continue to round out the roster around LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.