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Stephen A.: Lakers could face ‘unmitigated disaster’ if Luka doesn’t sign extension (1:11)
Brian Windhorst and Stephen A. Smith break down the importance of Luka Doncic signing an extension with the Lakers this offseason. (1:11)
Nearly two weeks after the Los Angeles Lakers rescinded their trade for Mark Williams with the Charlotte Hornets because, sources told ESPN, the 7-foot center failed his physical examination with L.A., his agent issued a statement refuting the Lakers’ decision.
“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,” Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management said in the statement. “Mark was ready and able to play for them and should have been given that opportunity.”
When asked for a response to Schwartz’s statement by ESPN, the Lakers declined to comment.
Williams was back on the court playing against the Lakers on Wednesday, posting 10 points, nine rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes in the Hornets’ 100-97 win over the Lakers. It was Williams’ first game action for Charlotte since the trade, which initially sent Lakers rookie Dalton Knecht, a 2030 pick swap and L.A.’s 2031 first-round pick to the Hornets for the 23-year-old big man.
Williams hadn’t played since Feb. 5 for the Hornets and was listed on the injury report with “return to play conditioning” before being upgraded to available.
Williams, a third-year veteran who is averaging 15.3 points on 58.1% shooting, 9.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists this season, told Fox Sports on Wednesday that he didn’t believe concern about his health was the lone reason the Lakers nixed the deal.
“I don’t think it was solely because of my physical,” Williams told Fox Sport
LeBron James, who finished a dunk over Williams in Wednesday’s game, was asked what it was like to go against the center so soon after the Lakers had him on their team.
“He was never a teammate,” James said. “He never stepped into the locker room. He never came [in]. We never seen him. We know the trade went down, but we never seen him. So when it got rescinded, it was just back to what it was before. So, it was no different.”
After the trade was rescinded, the Lakers have had to manage reintegrating Knecht into the rotation and finding center depth by other means. L.A. waived Christian Wood, the stretch big who had been sidelined all season following knee surgery, to sign the 7-foot Alex Len off the waiver wire after he was waived by the Sacramento Kings. Len is averaging 2.0 points on 40% shooting and 4.0 rebounds in 16.0 minutes through his first two games with L.A.
Williams posted a carousel of photographs to Instagram on Thursday — including one photo of him attacking the rim versus the Lakers — and included a caption with the social media missive. It read: “There’s Always Peace When You Know The Truth.”
