In a statement released via Excel Sports Management (Twitter link), agent Jeff Schwartz pushed back on the Lakers‘ decision to fail his client’s physical.
The Lakers agreed to trade Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, their unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap to the Hornets for Mark Williams, but later voided the trade over “multiple issues” with Williams’ physical.
“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,” Schwartz said.
In his first game back with the Hornets following the nixed trade, Williams recorded 10 points, nine rebounds and two assists on Wednesday in a three-point victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles. After the game, he suggested the Lakers may have had buyer’s remorse over all the assets they gave up to acquire him, according to Mark Medina of Sportskeeda.
“I don’t know for them, if it was what they gave up or went into that reasoning. But I don’t think it was solely because of my physical,” Williams said. “I’ve been playing all year. And I think my minutes and production on the court speak for itself.”
As Medina notes, Williams missed the majority of last season with a back injury as well as the first 20 games of 2024/25 due to a left foot injury, but he has bounced back by posting some of the best numbers of his career this season, averaging 15.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 blocks per game in 24 appearances (25.2 minutes). The 23-year-old called the past few weeks “crazy” and “tough,” but he’s happy to be back with the Hornets.
“Obviously the last two weeks have been national attention. It’s not really something that happens very often,” Williams said. “So I think just the rest of the way being able to show the player that I am, I feel like I’ve been doing that all year and I’ll just try to continue to do that.”
Williams (return to competition reconditioning) and LaMelo Ball (right ankle injury management) are among several Hornets who will be sidelined for Thursday’s back-to-back against Denver, the team announced (via Twitter).
For the Lakers, Luka Doncic (left calf injury management) and Jarred Vanderbilt (right foot surgery management) will be sidelined for tonight’s back-to-back in Portland, while LeBron James (left foot injury management) is questionable (Twitter link via Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group). According to NBA insider Marc Stein (Twitter link), the Lakers are “pleased” with Doncic’s recovery progress and are confident he’ll soon be able to play both ends of back-to-backs.
If only independent arbitration wasn’t so evil and bad and terrible maybe we’d get a straight answer. Oh well!
Buyers remorse…dudes playing and has been playing.
Just because he is currently playing doesn’t mean there isn’t something that will be an issue in the future. The guy hasn’t played more than 43 games yet in his career.
For all we know it’s just like the amar’e stoudemire situation when the suns let him walk in free agency because of what they found in his physical despite him currently playing well.
Yup …. Time to think about it.
His argument was that it wasn’t just about him. He thinks the Lakers realized they may have been giving up too much.
4 more years of that kind of crap…
Nothing they can do now. Both players have played in games since then
What else would his agent say? Means nothing.
It means Lakers pulled a fast one because that is what they do.
What exactly would be their motivation here?
If you can’t figure that out you’re completely helpless.
It’s fine to deny things but pretending you aren’t smart enough to even figure out some reasons why a team would do something like that is embarrassing.
So you don’t have an answer and just want to yap. Got it.
@ Reflect. Appease Luka, Bron the fans as though the lakers are a serious threat this year, they aren’t. The luka trade assured the future, now isn’t really important to the Lakers. Keep their pick and promising rookie. Build the roster out in the off season with more time. Lakers and Warriors should go hard at Myles Turner or cheaper option, Vucevic.
They could have blocked another team trading at that time. Lots of bigs got moved and Warriors were looking as well. Not saying this is what happened but there are scenarios like they heard the Warriors were looking into him too [I did not hear that] but that is believable to me.
They didn’t pull anything tho
Sounds like your conspiracy needs some work
What a grift , we are back at square 1 !!!
Seriously, touch grass
Lakers had all the medical reports just means other GMs are not going to trust Robin any deal near the trade deadline. Why would they? Just like how they refused to make a real offer on Klay Thompson.
They offered Klay 4/80 if I remember. That’s serious and better than what he got.
Their offer to the warriors in the sign and trade was D’Lo. Now that was a terrible offer.
Other teams should try it maybe they’d have some titles
Thump City!
obvo lakers lying imo
Lakers gave away far too much and realised it before it was too late to do anything…
@ Scarlett, yep. Was a hefty price tag on promise yet to be fulfilled. We all know the injury history and how good this guy can be if he can stay healthy. Fact is the man’s been playing and still is. Lakers probably did dodge a bullet though going forward. Then again, injury can strike anyone anytime. Lakers definitely got cold feet. Current roster isn’t a chance of doing damage.
First round pick from last year and another first round pick was a lot. But I think they might regret it. Lob machine would look good next to Luka.
A lob machine would be great…
But they also need deadly shooters next to Luka and LeBron…
Knecht is integral to how they build around Luka post LeBron… Maybe even more untouchable than Reaves as a result… Both need to get better on defence… But both are too good…
Mark might just be like Robert… Lot’s of potential, but just can’t give you 60+ games… That’s not worth giving Knecht up alone for…
A guy’s agent saying something is like his Mom saying it, only less objective.
I like Williams as a player. I believe his skill set is one that can be leveraged in the modern game beyond what it could be historically. As a NYK fan, I also like the fact that he’s still out there (and hopefully unhappy with CHA’s FO), and thus a possible add for the NYK this offseason. For many of the same reasons, I believe the LAL may well regret terminating the deal. That’s true regardless of what part of their decision was based on buyer’s remorse, and what part was based on something surprising that came up in the physical, understanding that they likely wouldn’t have spent much time distinguishing the two, since the system they were operating under doesn’t. But whether or not they “shouldn’t have”, under the system in place, they were certainly entitled to.
Whining about an agent defending the integrity of his client shows you’re too young to even understand the job. Or…?
Hello … I guess the IQ builders aren’t working. Well, they were always a longshot. FWIW, I wasn’t whining. I (pretty clearly) was dismissing. They’re very different things. Here’s more FYI: physicals don’t assess the subject’s integrity, so there is no need for anyone to take up a defense of the same. Nor has this agent done so, he’s advocating his client’s position, which, btw, is his ONLY job.