One of the biggest talking points following the NBA trade deadline has been the deal that was later reversed.
The LA Lakers were desperate to sign a center to play with Luka Doncic, and threw Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and their 2031 first round pick at the Charlotte Hornets to acquire Mark Williams.
The trade received plaudits from Magic Johnson before the Lakers rescinded the move following Williams’ medical. ESPN’s Bobby Marks suggested the Lakers got lucky, having given up too much for the 23-year-old, with a history of injury problems.
Dalton Knecht has commented on the uncertainty, while Mark Williams has kept quiet. Charlotte are also challenging the Lakers’ decision.
This is a tough spot for the player at the center of the controversy. Rachel Nichols expressed that the Lakers have ‘marked Williams as damaged goods’ to the rest of the NBA.
The Mark Williams situation is very unusual and NBA teams and players will hope it is a rarity. One of the most recent precedents came way back in February 2009, with Tyson Chandler.
At the mid-season trade deadline, the Oklahoma City Thunder struck a deal with the New Orleans Hornets to acquire Tyson Chandler. They were set to give up three players, Chris Wilcox, Joe Smith, and draft rights to Devin Hardin.
The deal was pending a physical, which Chandler did not pass. OKC GM Sam Presti explained: “Some questions arose that gave us cause for concern. We felt that this course of action was the best for our organization.”
Chandler’s physical was failed over his big toe, which he had undergone surgery on two years earlier.
He was not happy, later telling ESPN: “This is absolutely crazy. I’m super shocked. This is nuts. He said he doesn’t know how long I’ll last,” re the OKC team physician.
“He told me, ‘I have no doubt you can play on it. I’m just saying it could take a turn for the worse if you come down on somebody’s foot or hyperextend it or something.”
The LA Lakers have yet to comment on their reasons, although reports have claimed it is not related to his previous back injury. Williams was playing regularly in the weeks leading up the trade, and it is likely their decision was similarly connected to what ‘might’ happen in the future, over an issue they were not entirely comfortable with.
The current situation will be a tough one for Mark Williams to digest. He is back in Charlotte, instead of teaming up with Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
But he need only look at what the future held for Tyson Chandler, to take inspiration. His rescinded trade changed the course of the NBA.
While OKC did not pull the trigger on his trade, within months he was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats. And one year later in July 2010 he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Both teams did not share the Thunder’s concerns.
By the end of the 2010-11 season, Tyson Chandler was NBA champion, winning the title with the Mavericks, who beat the Heat in the finals. Chandler played 21 playoff games during the run.
He was later traded to the Knicks, and became NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, and was named as an All-Star for the first time in 2013.
Chandler extended his NBA career all the way through to 2020, having been drafted in 2001, making a mockery of OKC’s fears he would not hold up.
The Thunder might have been able to use Chandler too. They reached the NBA Finals in 2012, falling just short, and never won the title.
Newspaper The Oklahoman later noted, ‘Chandler could have made the difference’, reflecting on the team’s decision not to see the trade through.
Could the LA Lakers end up looking back on the Mark Williams’ decision as a ‘what if’ moment? It’s very possible.
Williams should have plenty of motivation to prove the Lakers wrong. Charlotte have also made clear he is available, at a price. Fortune favors the bold, and it will be fascinating to see if another team takes a shot on the 23-year-old this summer.
