Rumors

The Suns are well-stocked at center now after their recent trade for Charlotte's Mark Williams and the draft selection of Duke's Khaman Maluach with the No. 10 overall pick, but word is that first they tried to engage Minnesota in sign-and-trade discussions for Naz Reid before those moves.

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Duane Rankin: OFFICIAL: Phoenix Suns land center Mark Williams in draft day trade. #Suns pic.x.com/Nzm4saQ8dq

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Keith Smith: The Phoenix Suns have picked up their $8.1M team 2025-26 team option for Vasilije Micic. This was necessary to complete the Mark Williams trade. The Suns also tendered a two-way qualifying offer to Collin Gillespie. Gillespie will now be a restricted free agent on July 1.

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Michael Scotto: Sources: The Charlotte Hornets will select Liam McNeeley with the No. 29 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. This pick was acquired as part of the trade sending Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns.

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Duane Rankin: Khaman Maluach on joining Mark Williams in Phoenix: "Mark has been in the league for a couple years, and I'm going to learn a lot from him. I'm going to learn how to navigate and how to get better and what stuff I need to do to be able to play throughout the whole year and get pic.x.com/lKz6dSaV6B

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Jake Fischer: Vasilije Micić is heading back to Charlotte as part of the Mark Williams trade to the Suns, per source.

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Shams Charania: BREAKING: The Charlotte Hornets are trading center Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns for the No. 29 pick tonight and a 2029 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN.

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The Los Angeles Lakers are in active trade discussions to acquire a wing, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst. The Lakers have also been strongly linked with the market at center given their dearth of options currently on the depth chart and their rescinded trade for Mark Williams of the Charlotte Hornets.

RealGM

One name that Pelinka reportedly made calls about was Atlanta Hawks young big man Onyeka Okongwu. The 24-year-old is in the first year of a four-year, $62 million contract, and while he is slightly undersized at the position, brings athleticism and strong defensive instincts. Dave McMenamin of ESPN spoke about L.A.’s pursuit of Okongwu on “Straight Fire” with Jason McIntyre when asked if he has heard any buzz surrounding the Lakers’ interest: “I have. Before the Mark Williams trade, and I can’t tell you all the names on that list but I actually assume he was one of the names on the list that Rob Pelinka presented to Luka because I do know the Lakers made a call to the Hawks around the trade deadline about Okongwu. I think lob threat, athleticism, absolutely. In terms of being a perfect fit, maybe not. They might not get a perfect fit though. Clint Capela of ’17-’18 might have been a perfect fit but we’re in ’25-’26 now. So that is kind of the spot they’re gonna be in. I am of the opinion to not go all in on a Claxton or someone who makes $20-30 million… They’re gonna have the taxpayer mid-level available to them, so I’d try to go and get a guy at that level and if he doesn’t prove to be the best fit, make sure you’re holding on to one of your picks and then you can try to pursue something come February.”

Lakers Nation

Three days after trading Anthony Davis to Dallas for Doncic, the Lakers orchestrated a deal with the Charlotte Hornets to land 7-footer Mark Williams, a tantalizing but injury-prone young center who was supposed to provide Doncic a vertical threat around the rim other than Jaxson Hayes. Williams was Doncic's preferred lob partner out of a list of potential trade targets and told the team so, sources said, after Doncic had been so effective with Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford in Dallas. The deal was agreed upon the night before the trade deadline, a buzzer-beater by the Lakers' front office after already successfully negotiating the Doncic deal and the acquisition of Dorian Finney-Smith from the Brooklyn Nets in late December. Only Williams never suited up for L.A. He failed the team's physical examination, and the Lakers "just couldn't live with what they saw," a source with knowledge of the subject told ESPN.

ESPN

Tim Dunkman: Mark Williams was just waiting to post this after the Lakers’ loss

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Rod Boone: Miles Bridges (left hip), Josh Green (left shoulder), Josh Okogie (left hamstring injury management) and Mark Williams (left foot injury management) are out tonight for the #Hornets in Toronto.

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Rod Boone: Mark Williams is the recipient of this year's Rick Bonnell Award. Introduced by the #Hornets after the 2021-22 season, it's given annually to a player that best represents himself and the franchise with professionalism and cooperation with the media.

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James Ham: From the Hornets: UPDATE: @hornets center Mark Williams has been downgraded to questionable

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