Center Mark Williams has been one of the players of the season so far for the Phoenix Suns, but it wasn't necessarily supposed to go like this.
With the injury history he possesses, giving up a pair of first rounders for a guy who the Los Angeles Lakers vetoed a trade for last season was always going to be a risk. But it has paid off in a big way.
Williams has hilarious outlook on failed move to Los Angeles
Williams was joined by Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin and Ryan Dunn on an episode of The Young Man & The Three recently, and naturally the topic of the Lakers trade that never was came up.
Williams' two word response upon discovering he would be staying with the Charlotte Hornets just a bit longer? F**k y'all. Definitive.
Jordan Goodwin and Mark Williams reflect on how Mark Williams’ trade to the Lakers fell apart:
— Booker Muse (@DevinBookerMuse) December 31, 2025
[Jordan Goodwin]
“It was weird — I was over there [Lakers] when all that was going on. We thought it was a done deal. One day, a tweet came out saying his knee was busted… He just… pic.twitter.com/DtxWpzNnUk
We all know what happened from that point on, and the Suns most definitely profited from the failure of the Lakers to get a deal over the line.
They have their center of the future, one who is going to get an extension this offseason, while the Lakers have a familiar face in Deandre Ayton.
To be fair to the Suns' former first overall pick, he hasn't been so bad in Los Angeles. Williams however should be getting some Most Improved Player buzz alongside Collin Gillespie. Apparently Gillespie is not eligible though.
With the lack of defensive urgency from Luka Doncic once again under the microscope, it is fascinating to think what Williams actually could have brought to that Lakers team.
They look like fringe contenders right now, whereas the Suns inexplicably have the 11th best defensive rating in the league, giving up 113.6 points per game.
The Lakers on the other hand are all the way down in 25th (117.8) and although the addition of Williams alone wouldn't have solved that, it is clear he has had a massive impact in The Valley.
It is also sweet to get one over on the Lakers, so often the franchise that seems to get whatever free agent they want or need at the vital moment. Doncic being the most recent example.
Williams obviously is not on that level, but when you consider the Suns tried to make do with Jusuf Nurkic, you can see what an upgrade he is.
He also appears to have settled in well and moved past his ridiculous one game suspension without any issue, but that answer to not heading to the Lakers will never not be funny.