"All of a sudden he's healthy?": NBA fans shocked as Suns acquire Mark Williams despite failed Lakers trade and Khaman Maluach pick

The Phoenix Suns were busy on NBA draft night on Wednesday as they acquired center Mark Williams in a deal with the Charlotte Hornets. Fans, though, expressed shock at the development.

Williams, 23, was sent to the Suns in exchange for guard Vasilije Micic, the 2025 first-round pick (No. 29 overall) and a 2029 first-round pick (least favorable of Cleveland, Utah and Minnesota).

The move came despite Williams' failed trade to the LA Lakers midway last season after failing his physical and the Suns selecting Duke center Khaman Maluach at No. 10 in the 2025 NBA draft.

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Fans expressed their shock on Phoenix's move and shared their takes on X (formerly called Twitter).

"All of a sudden he’s healthy but wasn’t for the lakers? Lmao," one said. "Did they not just draft a Center though????," another pointed out. "What are the Suns doing?," a disconcerted fan said. "Can he pass a physical?," one asked. "Another season, another trade where the Suns get a big man from the Hornets. I'm interested to see how this rotation plays out Nick Richards, Mark Williams, Khaman Maluach," a fan laid down while making reference the centers the Suns have right now. "I’m fully convinced the Suns front office has absolutely no idea what the f*** they’re doing," a user wrote. "Why are the suns trading picks away wtf," another wondered.

Mark Williams played his third season with the Hornets last campaign and had career-highs of 15.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks in 44 games.

He was traded to the Lakers in February for rookie Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish. But days later, it was rescinded after he failed his physical, which was a part of the deal, and returned to Charlotte.

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Mark Williams welcomes trade to Phoenix Suns

Mark Williams seemingly didn't mind being sent to the Phoenix Suns by the Charlotte Hornets. He had a single emoji reaction to it, which could be interpreted as an approval.

The Hornets sent the three-year veteran center out of Duke to the Suns for guard Vasilije Micic, the No. 29 pick in this year's draft and a 2029 first-round pick.

Williams reacted to the trade by posting a sun emoji on X (formerly Twitter) to usher in his impending arrival in The Valley:

Phoenix struggled with size last season and the trade for Mark Williams seemingly was geared towards addressing that. Apart from him, the team also has Nick Richards, Mason Plumlee and the No. 10 pick Khaman Maluach.

The Suns are looking to regroup after completing a deal this week to send All-Star forward Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for a package that includes Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks. They still have resident superstar Devin Booker and Bradley Beal to work around.

Edited by Bhargav