There have been many reasons for the Phoenix Suns' fantastic 2025-26 season, but you better believe center Mark Williams has played his part.
The 24-year-old easily the best big man we've seen in The Valley since Deandre Ayton, and miles better than some of the other centers who have called Phoenix home.
Hornets always knew Williams could dominate if healthy
Perhaps the best development of all for the former Charlotte Hornet has been the fact he has appeared in a number of back-to-back games for the Suns so far this season.
This has helped them win games, although if you go back to the start of the campaign Williams being able to go two nights in a row was far from a given and took time to actually happen.
The Hornets selected the former Duke prospect with the 15th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, so they believed in his talent from the off. This season it is not hard to see why.
Mark Williams has been a quality player for the Suns this season pic.twitter.com/yLB5700q7Z
— BBall Index (@The_BBall_Index) January 21, 2026
But they never got a chance to see that blossom properly because of the injury issues that held him back while he was in Charlotte.
Their desire to move one from him at the deadline last season with that failed trade with the Los Angeles Lakers was the Hornets cutting their losses out of necessity, nothing else.
Had they known he would be on pace to shatter the career best 44 games he managed in his final season with the Hornets (he's on 39 already), they surely would have kept him.
Instead it is Phoenix who is now profiting, although they will also have the difficult decision of deciding just what number to extend the player on this offseason.
Williams may get some help from Toronto of all places in pushing that number north, and the Suns are going to pay whatever it takes to keep him. They didn't part with a pair of first rounders to then let him walk.
For the Hornets though, despite showing improvement this season having gone in a different direction, Williams is a player who could have helped them.
A decision that stings even more, given they took back both Josh Okogie and Jusuf Nurkic in two different deals with the Suns prior to giving them Williams, and both of those players have already moved on and are quietly excelling elsewhere.
This also highlights the excellent job the front office is doing in Phoenix, and they are quickly getting a reputation as an organization that will win trades if you engage with them. Sorry Charlotte.