LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers rescinded their trade to acquire Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets because the 7-foot center failed his physical, a person with knowledge of the circumstances told The Associated Press on Saturday night.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Lakers didn’t plan to make a public announcement of their reason for scrapping the deal.
The Lakers agreed to trade rookie guard Dalton Knecht and wing Cam Reddish along with draft considerations Wednesday night to get the 23-year-old Williams, a third-year pro and a former first-round draft pick. Los Angeles needs a quality big man to replace Anthony Davis, who was traded to the Dallas Maverick along with Max Christie for superstar guard Luka Doncic.
Charlotte also was supposed to receive the Lakers’ first-round pick in 2031 and a first-round pick swap in 2030.
Instead, the Lakers took the drastic step of nixing the trade after learning more about Williams, who has a lengthy injury history. He has played in just 84 of a possible 212 NBA games over his three seasons due to back problems and other ailments.