Mark Williams is set to return to the Charlotte Hornets: What happens next?

Fallout from Mark Williams' shocking return to the Charlotte Hornets.

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The last 72 hours have been a whirlwind for the Charlotte Hornets. Around 12:30 A.M. on Thursday morning, the franchise swung a deal to send their starting center Mark Williams west to join Luka Dončić and LeBron James as members of the Los Angeles Lakers. Later that afternoon, they filled the 7'2" size hole in their front court with Phoenix's Jusuf Nurkic, trading Cody Martin and Vasilije Micic for the embattled big man and a future first-round pick.

Charlotte's President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson was widely praised for the pair of deals. The Hornets had flipped their starting center and a pair of bench contributors into an intriguing prospect in Dalton Knecht, a new starting center in Nurkic, and a wealth of future draft capital that created gobs of future flexibility for the franchise.

However, as of Saturday night, the Williams deal has been rescinded. He will return to Charlotte, Knecht and Cam Reddish will return to Los Angeles, and the draft capital in the deal will return to its original home.

Woof.

What does this stunning revelation mean for the Hornets? Let's take a look.

Mark Williams' future is murky

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Talk about awkward, huh?

Williams has to return to the Charlotte Hornets with wide-ranging questions about both his present and his future. Charlotte shipped him out of the door three days ago: he's very clearly not in their plans no matter the timeline.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Williams' physical, "showed multiple issues and the team failed him on the exam. The physical was not failed due to his back, however." The Hornets, the team that Williams has spent the entirety of his three-year career with, clearly knew that something was amiss with the center's (who had only played 85 career games before the trade) body.

Mark Williams' physical with the Lakers showed multiple issues and the team failed him on the exam, sources tell ESPN. The physical was not failed due to his back, however. https://t.co/lY4XrSIlHf

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 9, 2025

How will Charlotte ever trade Williams now that everyone in the league is acutely aware of his multiple health issues? How can Charlotte commit to Williams, who is extension-eligible this summer, knowing his health is a gigantic risk? What number will Williams wear after the team already handed number five to Elfrid Payton? Will he even suit up as a member of the Charlotte Hornets again?

The are a million questions surrounding Williams' present and future that won't be answered for some time. This is an unfathomable situation that his career will feel the ripple effects of until he retires.

Does Charlotte make the trade for Jusuf Nurkic if Williams is still a Hornet?

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Absolutely not!

The Charlotte Hornets had a massive hole in their front court following Williams' departure, and they were presented an opportunity to acquire a solid veteran in Nurkic while accruing some future draft capital due to his contract running through 2026.

The Hornets likely would have made a deal to send out Vasilije Micic and/or Cody Martin for some draft picks ahead of the deadline regardless of the Williams trade, but it's feasible to believe that they would have made a move for a guard or a wing, not a third center.

The reality is that the Hornets now employ Mark Williams, Jusuf Nurkic, and Moussa Diabate, who will all be fighting for minutes at the center position. What a mess.

What happens with Moussa Diabate?

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This stinks to high heaven for Moussa Diabate.

The fan-favorite glass cleaner was assuredly part of the calculus in trading Williams to the Lakers. Diabate had earned a larger role with his relentless energy and rebounding skills, but now questions about his future in Charlotte emerge.

The Hornets are nearing the deadline to convert his contract from a two-way deal to a standard NBA contract. Can they logistically sacrifice depth on the wing by cutting DaQuan Jeffries, Seth Curry, or Isaiah Wong to convert Diabate's contract and roster three true centers? For as murky as Mark Williams' future is, Diabate's is equally as cloudy now.

Charlotte's moves at the NBA trade deadline were a series of well-timed chess moves aimed to keep the team semi-competitive, yet Flagg-curious in 2025 while accruing a boatload of draft capital to open up future flexibility. However, with the news that Mark Williams is being forced to return to Charlotte, the Hornets were just handed an unexpected checkmate that has sent the franchise's fine-tuned plans up in flames.

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