There’s no denying that the Phoenix Suns had a disappointing trade deadline, especially when compared to the massive moves made by rival teams. The Los Angeles Lakers were the biggest winners, somehow managing to acquire Luka Doncic—but they weren’t the only ones making waves.
Jimmy Butler, who the Suns had aggressively pursued for weeks, “ended up heading to the Golden State Warriors,” while De’Aaron Fox quickly made an impact with the San Antonio Spurs. Meanwhile, in Phoenix, the biggest headline leading up to the deadline was whether they would move on from Kevin Durant.
The Lakers One-Up the Suns at the Last Moment
Late in the day, the Lakers managed to land another key player, and this time, it was at the Suns’ expense.
They called up the Charlotte Hornets—whom the Suns had already completed two trades with in recent weeks—and “convinced them to part with center Mark Williams.” This came as a surprise, considering Phoenix had previously acquired backup big Nick Richards from Charlotte in exchange for Josh Okogie, and then sent Jusuf Nurkic to the Hornets in the final hours of the deadline.
It wasn’t just that the Lakers secured an even better deal from the same team Phoenix had been working with—although that fact alone was frustrating. Williams, at just 23 years old, possesses the size and athleticism to be exactly the kind of defensive anchor Luka Doncic and LeBron James need to cover their defensive lapses during the regular season.
Injury Concerns and Missed Opportunities
Williams’ injury history, however, is a major red flag—”and that is putting it lightly.” If the Suns had managed to acquire him instead, there’s no telling how often he would have actually been available. Still, Williams is a superior big compared to Richards, younger, and has much more upside than his former teammate.
What stings even more is what the Lakers gave up to get him. These were exactly the type of additional assets that should have been included in the “Doncic fleecing.” Rookie Dalton Knecht, who had an encouraging start to his NBA career, was sent to Charlotte, though he’s already the same age as Williams.
The Hornets also received Cam Reddish—a player who has yet to live up to his potential—along with a 2030 pick swap and an unprotected 2031 first-round pick. This was the same draft pick that Phoenix had previously broken up into smaller pieces to help facilitate the Nurkic trade. Yet the Lakers’ version of this deal was arguably less valuable, given that Doncic will likely still be on the team by then.
Even if Phoenix had bundled all these assets—along with Anthony Davis and Max Christie—it “still wouldn’t have been enough” to land Doncic. And yet, somehow, the Lakers managed to acquire a starting center on top of their blockbuster Doncic deal.
Suns Face an Uncertain Stretch Run
The fact that it was the Lakers who pulled off this move only makes it worse, as they always seem to catch breaks in these situations. Now, the Suns enter the final stretch of the season without Nurkic and with a center rotation still lacking a key piece.
Their issues extend beyond just the center position—”Bradley Beal and his no-trade clause are still in town”—but this trade deadline was undeniably disappointing for Phoenix. Instead of making a splash, they were left watching their top target head elsewhere while their rivals strengthened their rosters.
