Mark Williams has had the kind of first season with the Phoenix Suns that the front office could only have dreamed of, turning in the healthiest campaign of his career to date.
His form has been up-and-down and he has missed some time through injuries, but he is one of the key reasons the franchise made the play-in tournament.
Williams may be forced to let Williams walk this offseason
Yet despite giving up a pair of first round picks for his services last summer, the Suns may have to let Williams walk if they cannot come to an agreement on a contract extension.
The 24-year-old is a restricted free agent, and it is in his best interests to lock up a long-term deal if his body begins to break down on him.
He is also likely to agree to a contract with certain stipulations around availability and games played, much like Jonathan Isaac of the Orlando Magic once did.
But there is a world in which the front office, with Devin Booker, Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks going nowhere for now, don't have the money to bring Williams back as well.
Welcome back, Mark Williams! pic.twitter.com/TtHpmjVFIz
— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) April 2, 2026
Getting Collin Gillespie to re-up is arguably more important, while they also need some roster flexibility to plug the other holes in their rotation.
Guys like Jordan Goodwin and Koby Brea have been excellent and outperformed expectations, but the front office can't keep turning to guys like that if they want to win big.
The most likely outcome here is that a deal gets done, even if it ultimately means the Suns sign Williams to a larger number that they can then use to trade down the road.
But if another organization comes in with an offer above what they are willing to pay themselves (unlikely in this hard cap CBA but not impossible), they would surely let Williams walk.
As it is they will once again be flirting with being above one or both aprons if they bring Williams back depending on the other business they conduct this summer, and we've been there in Phoenix before.
The Kevin Durant era hamstrung by the cap sheet, leading to players such as Jusuf Nurkic being signed to try and get the best players possible on a shoestring budget.
Fans and the front office alike surely want Williams back, and there's no doubt he wants to sign as well. But just because all parties want to make a deal, doesn't mean it will happen.
The manner in which the center could be forced to leave The Valley however would be painful given what it took to get him there.
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