The Phoenix Suns are heading into the upcoming season with a stacked rotation at the center position. But one thing is clear: they have no shortage of belief in Mark Williams and what he can be for this team.
That was evident from the moment the Suns opted to make their draft night trade for the former Charlotte Hornets big man. There were plenty of reasons for teams around the league to approach trading for Mark with caution, given his injury history. But Phoenix clearly isn't too worried about that.
I mean, if you have any doubts that the league-wide perception of Williams is still pretty low, even now, just think back to what happened in the first week of February. That was when the Hornets tried to trade Mark to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Dalton Knecht. They and everyone else in the NBA were certain they had gotten the deal done.
But when the Lakers decided they didn't like something relating to Mark's physical exam, they failed him on it and sent him right back to North Carolina. It seemed that Williams' perception around the league was going to take a big hit.
The Suns are looking at Mark Williams as a potential game-changer
Not enough of a hit for the Suns, though. The Hornets made it clear that they wanted to keep Mark after the trade fell through, but still opted for a trade when the time was right in the offseason. Now, Phoenix is looking at Williams as somebody who could really change this team's trajectory.
And that's because all things considered, that's the correct stance to have on this situation. Mark has had some unfortunate injury trouble, and it's not unreasonable to be concerned with that stuff at some level. Back injuries are rough, and especially for big men in the NBA, from a historical perspective. With that said, Williams' physical profile and ceiling are still immensely impressive.
He came into the league in 2022 as this incredibly long and athletic center with a knack for making plays on both sides of the ball. He really impressed once given his first NBA opportunities in his rookie season, but injuries cut short both his second and third professional seasons in Charlotte.
Now, the Suns are simply betting on him getting back to his rookie form and becoming a lethal paint presence. It's a risky move, but the potential payoff would absolutely be worth it for Phoenix.