The Mark Williams trade saga has been an interesting one to say the least. Things are still not fully resolved, as the Charlotte Hornets continue to challenge the Los Angeles Lakers' decision to fail Williams on his physical examination. No one will know the final outcome for certain until the status of their challenge is resolved, but all signs seem to point to the trade remaining rescinded.
While this is an unfortunate outcome for a few reasons, Jeff Peterson and the rest of the Hornets' management have been adamant that they have done nothing wrong throughout this process. If they did not truly believe this, they would not have put in to challenge the ruling in the first place. And according to someone with knowledge of the situation, they are correct in this belief.
ESPN's Bobby Marks made an appearance on Wes and Walker on WFNZ on Tuesday of this week, and he broke down some of what he knows regarding Charlotte's situation. Perhaps the most relevant bit of information he shared was that the Hornets did not withhold any medical information from the Lakers. The reason why the transaction between the two teams was cancelled lies in the fact that LA simply came to a different conclusion than Charlotte did after their physical exam.
Marks: The Hornets were not in the wrong
This should serve as a relief to those who wondered if the Hornets' medical staff or front office might lose credibility after a situation like this. Marks confirmed that it was simply a difference of opinion between the two teams. "The last time Mark (Williams) probably got a physical was I guess in September," he said. "He's been healthy. He's played the last 15, 20 games ... It's basically what they (the Lakers) see might be different from what you (the Hornets) see."
Unfortunately, teams are allowed to conduct these exams in a way where they can simply decide to say yes or no at the end of it, whether there is a glaring issue in the eyes of an outsider or not. The Lakers, for example, had no issue taking on whatever physical concerns Luka Doncic may have presented, simply due to the caliber player he is. In Williams' case, they saw enough reason for pause to cancel the transaction.
Marks also noted that the unique timing of this dilemma was what led to the fact that Charlotte is having a difficult time amending it. Had this trade been done in the offseason and had the Lakers ran into similar concerns about Williams' health, the Hornets would have potentially been able to step in and work with them on a solution. In this case, there is unfortunately simply no other option than to rescind it. Even so, Charlotte did everything right on their end of things.