Mar 18, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) during pregame warm ups against the Atlanta Hawks at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Hornets avoid repeat nightmare as Mark Williams trade goes official

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Jun 30, 2025 2:26 PM ET

At the NBA trade deadline, the Charlotte Hornets shocked the world (or maybe just local fans) by trading Mark Williams to the Los Angeles Lakers. A nightmare ensued, sending Williams back because the Lakers failed his physical after the deadline ended, thus allowing Charlotte to surprise again by trading the center during the NBA draft.

It stands to reason that the Phoenix Suns might've known all about what happened with the Lakers and Williams regarding his health, but until the trade went final, Hornets fans probably held their breaths. This one could've been much more complicated since it involved the 29th pick of the draft (Liam McNeeley), and rescinding that would've been extremely messy. Fortunately, there's no such issue.

OFFICIAL: We have acquired the draft rights to Liam McNeeley and a future first-round draft pick from Phoenix.
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) June 30, 2025

As of now, the trade is official. It has been posted, and there's no going back for either side. The Hornets no longer have Williams, and he's not coming back unless he theoretically signs back once he hits free agency. McNeeley can officially be considered a part of the Hornets' roster now, too.

The 2029 first-round pick is also officially on Charlotte's ledger now. Vasilije Micic, part of the Jusuf Nurkic deal at the deadline, is also back now to help match salaries for Phoenix, which has very little cap flexibility. In total, the Hornets got two first-round picks and Micic for Williams.

In essence, this also means they essentially traded Mark Williams and Cody Martin to the Suns for three first-round picks and Jusuf Nurkic (who got flipped for Collin Sexton and a second-round pick). They also previously traded Nick Richards to Phoenix for Josh Okogie and three second-round picks, so these two teams have quickly established a strong rapport in the first year of Jeff Peterson's tenure.