A trade that never was
Mark Williams has not forgotten. And honestly, he doesn't want to.
The Phoenix Suns center appeared on The Old Man and The Three podcast alongside teammates Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, and Ryan Dunn, and he didn't hold back about the Lakers trade that collapsed in February 2025. His message to Los Angeles was blunt.
Williams was direct about his reaction when the deal fell apart. He was excited to join the Lakers and believed he was exactly the profile they needed heading into the playoffs. When LA got eliminated, he posted a smiley emoji on social media. He was furious.
Inside the chaos
Jordan Goodwin was on the Lakers roster at the time, and his account of the situation makes the whole thing even stranger. The team thought the deal was done. Then suddenly it wasn't, with reports citing concerns about Williams' knee. The problem? Williams had played just the week before.
The confusion extended to the locker room. Dalton Knecht, the main piece heading to Charlotte in the trade, had already packed his bags. His locker was cleared out. His nameplate was gone. Goodwin remembers looking at the empty space next to his own locker, genuinely excited about finally having a real center on the roster. The next day, everything evaporated.
The Lakers went on to finish the season cobbling together solutions at the five spot. JJ Redick famously played the entire Game 5 elimination loss against Minnesota without using a single center. It was a disaster that proved Williams right: they needed him.
Revenge tour in full effect
Williams has channeled that frustration into on-court dominance against Los Angeles. Last season with Charlotte, he delivered a standout performance that helped the Hornets leave LA with a victory. This year with Phoenix, the trend continues.
In three games against the Lakers this season, the Suns have won twice. Williams has been exceptional in every matchup, averaging 17 points on ridiculous 22-of-26 shooting, plus 7 rebounds and 2 blocks in just 25 minutes per game. That's 84.6 percent from the field against a team that could have had him anchoring their paint.
Williams thriving in Phoenix
The 24-year-old Duke product is having a career year with the Suns, averaging 12.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. After injury-plagued seasons in Charlotte, he's finally healthy and playing meaningful minutes on a contending team. Phoenix sits at 19-14, and Williams has been a key reason why their frontcourt has stabilized.
He's also shown he won't back down from anyone. Williams was recently suspended one game after an altercation with New Orleans' Jose Alvarado that resulted in both players throwing punches and getting ejected. The guy plays with an edge.
One more chance for revenge
The Suns have one more regular season matchup against the Lakers, scheduled for late February in Phoenix. Based on Williams' track record, expect him to circle that date and come out looking for blood.
The Lakers fixed their center problem by acquiring Deandre Ayton. Williams landed in a better situation with the Suns. But some wounds don't heal, and Williams seems perfectly content keeping this grudge alive every time he sees Purple and Gold on the opposing bench.