Rescinded Lakers-Hornets Trade Gets Even Murkier

On Monday, an already fuzzy would-be NBA trade got even murkier.

Days ago, the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets agreed to a deal surrounding rookie Dalton Knecht and third-year center Mark Williams, the No. 15 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

The deal made sense on multiple levels, as the Hornets added a solid up-and-coming rookie in Knecht, as well as future draft capital in bunches. The Lakers would add a talented vertical spacer and lengthy presence at the five alongside the newly-added Luka Doncic. It was all for naught, though, as a reported failed physical on Williams’ end saw the deal rescinded on the Lakers’ end.

Per ESPN’s Shams Charania: "Mark Williams' physical with the Lakers showed multiple issues and the team failed him on the exam — the physical was not failed due to his back, however." Per NBA insider Marc Stein: “The Lakers just announced that their trade with Charlotte to acquire Mark Williams has been rescinded “due to failure to satisfy a condition of the trade.”

But the debacle doesn’t end there.

On Monday, it was reported by Charania that the Hornets had been in contact with the NBA to explore options to dispute the Lakers’ failed physical assessment of Williams. “The Williams/Dalton Knecht trade was nixed Saturday, and now Hornets weigh avenues to challenge,” Charania wrote.

As it stands now, there’s no telling where the Knecht-Williams saga will end. For now, both players remain with their original teams, but the final verdict will obviously have a ripple effect on the league. 

As a rookie, Knecht has averaged 9.4 points on 47% shooting overall and 36% shooting from beyond the arc. Be it in Los Angeles or Charlotte, he’s sure to have a bright future in the league.