Mark Williams has played 106 games for the Charlotte Hornets in three seasons. Only time will tell whether those numbers go up after this summer, as he is a prime candidate to be traded for the second time.
Perhaps he is grateful to have been given the chance to convince worthy of staying with the franchise that picked him up in the draft three years ago. Williams' total appearances with the Hornets would have stopped at 85 had the Los Angeles Lakers not decided to mark him as damaged goods and return him to Charlotte.
The big man delivered a solid audition piece, showcasing his potential to be a nightly double-double threat and not exhibiting any ill feelings toward the organization despite the supposed trade.
Mark Williams looks excited to have a full summer of basketball
Even so, the biggest concern surrounding Williams has yet to be answered — his health.
The 44 matches he played this season is a career-high. In his rookie campaign, he sustained ankle and thumb injuries that limited him to 43 appearances. The 2023 offseason then saw him elect for surgery to treat a torn ligament in his right thumb. The Duke University product was then out of commission until October.
He had it worst in the 2023-24 season, as he was able to suit up just 19 times because of a back injury.
Hoping to make a strong return in this campaign, he sustained a strained tendon in his left foot right at the start of the 2024 training camp that derailed his comeback. Williams had to sit out the first 20 contests of the 2024-25 campaign before going in and out of the lineup the rest of the way due to various ailments and injury management.
However, he believes that the next season will be different. Mark said in his exit interview that he "is in a good place now."
He also mentioned that for the first time in his young professional career, he will have an entire offseason to develop his craft and chemistry with his teammates. He looked thrilled while pointing out how he will have a whole summer of growing stronger and learning to embrace contact on the offensive end.
Perhaps a clean bill of health can also help the 23-year-old center bang bodies on defense. He has yet to prove that he can become a solid defensive anchor for a squad that appears to be lacking in the perimeter defense department. But if injuries don't hold him back from becoming a sturdier post presence and being more agile on switches against ball-handlers, he can make his case to remain in Charlotte in the long run.
Hopefully, Williams won't experience something similar last offseason when he sustained a significant injury if the Hornets indeed intend to move forward with him on the roster.