The Phoenix Suns have finalized a trade to acquire center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets, addressing a major area of need in their frontcourt.
According to a report by Shams Charania, Charlotte is sending Williams to Phoenix in exchange for the No. 29 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and a 2029 first-round selection. The future pick is the least favorable of Cleveland, Utah, and Minnesota, and is top-5 protected.
The move comes just months after a failed February deal that would have sent Williams to the Lakers. That trade was rescinded due to procedural issues on Charlotte’s end, returning the 23-year-old center to the Hornets roster.
Now, the Suns have successfully landed the 7-foot big man, who averaged 15.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks across 44 games last season while shooting 60.4% from the field. He started 41 of those contests for a Hornets team that finished 14th in the Eastern Conference with a 19–63 record.
Size and rim protection were persistent problems for Phoenix throughout the 2024–25 campaign. The team missed the Western Conference Play-In Tournament after ending the season 11th at 36–46, surrendering 116.6 points per game — among the worst marks in the conference.
Williams joins newly drafted center Khaman Maluach, whom the Suns selected at No. 10 via Houston, to fortify a previously thin frontcourt rotation.
Charlotte, which drafted Duke wing Kon Knueppel at No. 4 overall, continues to stockpile assets after finishing 14th in the East with a 19–63 record.
The 29th pick that Phoenix sent to Charlotte was used to select UConn forward Liam McNeeley.
The 2029 pick is top-5 protected and conveys only if it falls outside that range among the group of Cleveland, Utah, and Minnesota. If not conveyed that year, standard roll-over protections may apply.
