The Phoenix Suns are well into their training camp ahead of a preseason trip to Macau before the real action gets underway in October, and center Mark Williams has emerged as one of the key talking points out of The Valley. After some early concerns as to where exactly the player was in the opening days of camp, he has since made an appearance at "Suns Fest".
It was in Footprint Center in front of a large gathering of fans that the 23-year-old exhibited a surprisingly consistent shooting touch, and the Suns will be hoping that can transfer over to the regular season. They don't need Williams to be a 3-point threat, but have a reliable jumper from certain spots would upgrade his offensive game.
Suns already have massive extension headache with Williams.
If you weren't already aware - as it is the big man's fourth season in the league this coming year - he is now extension eligible on his rookie deal. Which is likely one of the reasons the Charlotte Hornets agreed to part ways with him, because deciding how much he should make is a complex question with no clear answer.
That Mark Williams jumper though 👀 (✍️ @LucaLockheart)https://t.co/InXcvW0iSX
— Valley of the Suns (@ValleyoftheSuns) September 29, 2025
Williams wants to be paid like a starting big man who regularly posts a double-double, because that's what he is. Only he's not on the court nearly enough to warrant that kind of payday, with organization and player representatives going to have to meet somewhere in the middle. Who blinks first will be fascinating, and what the Suns gave up to get Williams puts them in a tough spot.
Given Vasa Micić headed straight back to Europe after being included in the Williams deal, he doesn't really count. The Suns were in the second apron at the time and couldn't have kept him anyway. But Phoenix did give away the 29th pick in this year's draft (Liam McNeely), as well as a first rounder in 2029.
That is considerable compensation for a guy who is going to miss half their games, but it is also something that Williams can point to as a reason he should make big money. The Suns clearly believed in his talents enough to part with some real stuff to acquire him, even if his rim protection has come under scrutiny from Los Angeles in recent days.
The Orlando Magic constructed a deal with their own lottery pick in Jonathan Isaac in the past that was based on performance incentives and appearances for the team. But that worked out partly because Isaac was drafted by the team, and it was clear they were moving on without him. It's different with Williams, but that is still the track Phoenix should take on this one.