The Charlotte Hornets were victorious in the first game back after the NBA All-Star break, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 100-97 thanks to stellar play from LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. Mark Williams, who recently went through a trade ordeal as a result of these two teams, was active on the court and played 29 minutes, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds.
Williams was at the forefront of slight controversy when it was announced that the Lakers had concerns and failed him on his physical to complete the trade. The trade, which saw Williams being swapped for rookie Dalton Knecht, was rescinded after the deadline for health reasons.
Considering the fact that the Lakers decided to rescind the trade just a week or so ago, seeing a healthy Williams on the court has sparked a debate on the reasoning why Los Angeles rescinded the trade in the first place.
Jeff Schwartz Calls Out Lakers for Rescinding Mark Williams Trade
Williams’ agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, released a statement in response to the rescinded trade, detailing that his client should not have been failed on his physical.
Mark Williams' agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, released the following statement: "The overwhelming sentiment, after conferring with multiple, nationally recognized doctors, is that the Los Angeles Lakers should not have failed Mark Williams on his physical. Mark… pic.twitter.com/hSVdEvLjWH
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) February 20, 2025
“The overwhelming sentiment, after conferring with multiple, nationally recognized doctors, is that the Los Angeles Lakers should not have failed Mark Williams on his physical. Mark was ready and able to play for them and should have been given that opportunity.”
If this is true, then that begs the question, why would this trade be rescinded? There have been many speculations as to why the Lakers, who were in need of a big man after losing Anthony Davis, would rescind a trade that helped replace a need.
Could There Be More to the Williams’ Trade Being Rescinded?
As stated, a number of speculations have come out about the Williams trade being rescinded. However, there’s no solid evidence of anything strange besides his agent coming out in defense of his health and physical.
While Schwartz could just be doing what any good agent what attempt to do after his client failed a physical, the fact that Williams played significant minutes and contributed to his team in the very first game following the All-Star break does raise an eyebrow.
Did the Lakers get cold feet about trading away Knecht or that 2031 first-round pick? Are they confident enough that the need for a big man could be rectified through the buyout market and didn’t want to pay such a hefty price?
There’s no way to know what the Lakers are thinking, but Schwartz making this statement along with Williams playing and contributing for Charlotte will bring some speculation for sure.
