It has not been that long since the Charlotte Hornets' attempted trade of Mark Williams went down at the start of February. What the organization thought would be an innovative way of moving on from Williams turned out to be a total dud after the Los Angeles Lakers seemingly inexplicably rescinded the deal.
Dalton Knecht had already traveled to Charlotte and completed a practice with the Hornets by the time it was announced the trade would not be completed. A bizarre situation got even stranger when the Lakers revealed that their rationale behind no longer desiring to complete the deal had to do with failing Williams on his physical.
This of course led to many questions about Mark's body, and left many questioning if he was truly in good enough shape to be playing. As we would find out, he was always in good shape, and his play since the trade deadline has served to confirm that. Williams has looked much improved since the middle of February, putting up 13 double-doubles and seeming to gain a newfound motivation following the failed trade with the Lakers.
Asked Hornets center Mark Williams about the team's failed trade with the Lakers and whether he thinks he will be back - and wants to be back. (Should be noted that he IS still under contract next season). pic.twitter.com/saRkJaPXVp
— Steve Reed (@SteveReedAP) April 14, 2025
Williams on if he thinks he'll be back with Hornets: "Maybe"
On Monday morning, the Hornets hosted exit interviews for each player on the roster, and Williams was present to answer questions with reporters. When asked if he thinks he will be back and if he wants to be back in Charlotte next season, Mark had an interesting response.
"Do I think I'll be back? Maybe," Williams said. "I think with that whole situation it's given me a new perspective on understanding it's a business ... So I can't say 100 percent yet, but honestly there's a good chance of that. But like I said, I didn't think I was getting traded the first time."
This was a very honest answer that speaks to Mark's full understanding of where he stands with the team. He certainly expects that he will continue to be part of the team's core four players, but he also sees the business aspect of running an NBA team more than he perhaps used to. Williams does not expect to be dealt this summer, but he knows that it's an option that's always on the table.
The Hornets are in a great position with a healthy Mark Williams operating as their starting center. But once the February trade fiasco happened, it opened up the floodgates for any type of unexpected transaction to occur in the future.