Mark Williams makes feelings about Hornets departure crystal clear

Looking at Williams’s 15.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in 2024-25, you might yell at the Hornets for giving up on him so soon.

Selected at No. 15 overall out of Duke by the Hornets in the 2022 NBA Draft, Williams has the physical gifts of a franchise center (hence the Lakers’ and Suns’ interest), but there’s more to the story.

Williams has appeared in fewer than 36 games per season over his first three NBA campaigns. That would be an impressive figure if he were still playing college basketball for Jon Scheyer, but with an 82-game NBA schedule, it’s not acceptable for a guy you’re trying to build around.

Sure, there is some risk to moving on from Williams this early (he's 23). If Williams ends up having a stretch of good health and thrives for the Suns (or another team), plenty of Hornets fans will point fingers at general manager Jeff Peterson, because that's what fans do.

But the more likely scenario is that Williams will continue on his current pace and end up being another former Hornets first-rounder that didn’t fully work out, in Charlotte or anywhere else.

There’s no point in rooting against Williams, who by all accounts seems like a good guy. Hopefully for his sake, he stays healthy and produces for Phoenix. 

On the whole, though, it was a wise move from a competitive standpoint for Peterson and the Hornets to move on from Williams and to invest in other players. It’s also a move that Williams took personally, as indicated by his recent comments.

Mark Williams vows to make Hornets regret trading him (twice)

Per Forbes’ Shane Young, this is what Williams had to say recently about the Hornets trading him.

"To be where you're wanted is always great. So to be here, it's exciting. Once you traded me the first time, it was only a matter of time before I was gone. I just plan on making them regret that decision every time I step on the floor.”

We’ll give Williams some much-deserved slack here, as getting traded twice in such a short span — by the same people, no less — can’t feel good.

By the way, the Suns are also hoping that Williams makes the Hornets feel regret every time he steps on the floor.

They’re also really hoping that he does so more than 36 times a year.