Mark Williams-Dalton Knecht trade: Charlotte Hornets release baffling statement after Lakers rescind deal

The Mark Williams and Dalton Knight trade fell through on Saturday night, after there were issues regarding the physical with Williams, according to Shams Charania. Shortly after the news was announced on late Saturday evening, the Charlotte Hornets decided to release a baffling statement on the matter.

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— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) February 9, 2025

“We are excited to welcome Mark back to our Hornets organization. After the other team aggressively pursued Mark, we made the difficult decision to move him. We have always held great respect for Mark’s talent, work ethic, and character. We are thrilled to see him rejoin our roster as a dynamic presence at the starting center position. His return strengthens our team, and we look forward to the impact he will make on and off the court,” the Hornets statement read.

Details on the Williams and Knecht deal

ESPN’s Shams Charania recently revealed exactly why the deal did not go through, citing issues with a physical from Williams. The team had to fail him on it but not for what most people might think. Back issues have been a problem for Williams however, Charania says that’s not the issue.

“Mark Williams’ physical with the Lakers showed multiple issues and the team failed him on the exam, sources tell ESPN,” Charania said via X. “The physical was not failed due to his back, however.”

Charania then appeared on ESPN to further explain the situation during halftime of Saturday night’s game between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks.

“Sources tell me that the Lakers have failed Mark Williams on his physical exam,” he said. “I’m told they found multiple issues in that exam and it’s about the extent of the injury of what they got and what they found in that exam. Clearly, they found some issues and people have talked about his back being an issue. I’m told that is not the reason of the failed physical. So, they found a couple of other issues in the physical exam that they did not expect.”

With the NBA trade deadline now passed, there is not much either team can do. Knecht will get to continue to play alongside the likes of LeBron James and eventually, share the court with the newly-acquired Luka Doncic. One of college basketball’s best players last season, Knecht is still early into his NBA career.

Williams goes back to Charlotte and apparently, has a few medical issues to sort through. As Charania mentioned, the back injury has been a problem and has been the main reason as to why Williams has not seen the court. Los Angeles must have caught something that Charlotte will look to fix moving forward.

On3’s Griffin McVeigh also contributed to this article.