RealGM Basketball Wiretap

03 April 2025

• LaMelo Ball Out For Season With Ankle, Wrist Surgeries

  LaMelo Ball will miss the rest of the season as he undergoes two minor procedures to address right ankle and wrist issues. Ball had played through pain in recent weeks before he and the team consulted doctors and determined these procedures will allow him to have a full and productive offseason.

  Ball has dealt with ankle injuries over recent years, missing at least 25 games in each of the past three seasons after playing a career-high 75 games in 2021-22.

  Ball finishes the season with averages of 25.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.9 rebounds in 47 games. Ball finished the first season of his five-year, $203.8 million contract extension with the Charlotte Hornets.

• Hornets Expected To Re-Explore Trade Market For Mark Williams

  The Charlotte Hornets are expected to re-explore the trade market for center Mark Williams this offseason. Rival executives believe Charlotte will look to trade Williams again, after the failed trade to the Los Angeles Lakers at the trade deadline.

  The Hornets and Lakers had agreed to a swap of Williams for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2030 first-round pick swap and a 2031 first-round pick. However, Los Angeles failed Williams on his physical and rescinded the trade. The Lakers reportedly found multiple concerns with Williams during their medical check.

  Since returning to Charlotte after the All-Star break, Williams has appeared in 12 of the team's 15 games. Prior to that, Williams had missed considerable time this season due to a foot issue. He also missed several games throughout each of his first two seasons due to various injuries, most significantly a back injury.

  Williams has one season left on his rookie scale deal at $6.3 million. He'll be extension-eligible this summer.

• Executives Monitoring LaMelo Ball Availability This Offseasn

  Executives around the league are monitoring the potential availability of LaMelo Ball this offseason, sources told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

  Luka Doncic's trade to the Lakers has expanded executive's horizon of which star could potentially get dealt next.

  Ball is currently in the first year of a five-year, $204 million deal. Ball is averaging 26.1 points and 7.0 assists per game this year.

  Mark Williams and Miles Bridges are two other Hornets players to watch this offseason. Bridges' three-year, $75 million contract is structured as descending in order to be used as a trade chip.

• Malachi Flynn, Hornets Agree To 10-Day Contract

  Malachi Flynn and the Charlotte Hornets have agreed to a 10-day day contract. Flynn is represented by Aaron Reilly.

  Flynn appeared in 69 games last season with the Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons, averaging 5.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 12.7 minutes. Flynn also scored 50 points in one late season game with the Pistons.

  Flynn is averaging 21.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 32.3 minutes over 28 games this season in the G League.

• Mark Williams' Agent Contends Lakers Should Not Have Failed Mark Williams On Physical

  Mark Williams' agent, Jeff Schwartz, released a statement asserting that the Los Angeles Lakers should not have rescinded a trade with the Charlotte Hornets for his client.

  "The overwhelming sentiment, after conferring with multiple, nationally recognized doctors, is that the Los Angeles Lakers should not have failed Mark Williams on his physical," said Schwartz in his statement.

  "Mark was ready and able to play for them and should have been given that opportunity."

  The Lakers and Hornets were unable to amend the trade since the physical didn't occur until after the deadline. The Lakers said in a statement that it was due to the Hornets' "failure to satisfy a condition of the trade."

• Mark Williams Probable To Play For Hornets In Wednesday's Game At Lakers

  Mark Williams has rejoined the Charlotte Hornets and is probable for Wednesday's game at the Los Angeles Lakers. Williams had not rejoined the Hornets following his rescinded trade to the Lakers until after the All-Star break. The Lakers agreed to acquire Williams, but the trade was rescinded following the physical.

  Williams will be eligible for a contract extension with the Hornets this coming offseason, otherwise he will become a free agent in 2026.

  The game was rescheduled due to the Los Angeles fires and originally scheduled to take place on January 9th. The Hornets also had their game against the Los Angeles Clippers postponed and rescheduled for an additional trip to Los Angeles on March 16th.

• Elfrid Payton, Hornets Agree To 2nd 10-Day Deal

  Elfrid Payton and the Charlotte Hornets have agreed to a second 10-day deal.

  Payton has appeared in two games with the Hornets, averaging 2.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 27.7 minutes. Payton also previously appeared in seven games with the New Orleans Pelicans.

  Before this season, Payton last played in the NBA during the 21-22 season with the Phoenix Suns.

• Luka Doncic 'Impressed' By Lakers Swiftly Attempting To Trade For Mark Williams

  Luka Doncic was reportedly "impressed" by how quickly the Los Angeles Lakers tried to trade for Mark Williams, sources told Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

  Doncic reportedly told Rob Pelinka that he wanted to play with a lob threat before the Williams deal was initially announced.

  The Hornets have not officially filed a protest against the Lakers for rescinding the trade. Doncic is not dismayed that the Lakers walked away from the deal.

  Williams has yet to report back to the Hornets since the trade was rescinded.

• Mark Williams Hasn't Returned To Hornets Since Rescinded Trade To Lakers

  Mark Williams has yet to return to the Charlotte Hornets after the trade sending him to the Los Angeles Lakers was rescinded. Charlotte played three road games since the rescinded trade, and Williams was inactive for all three games.

  It's believed that the Hornets are giving Williams time to readjust to being back with the team. In a bit of an odd coincidence, Charlotte's first game after the All-Star break is on Wednesday at the Los Angeles Lakers.

  The Lakers had agreed to acquire Williams, in exchange for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2030 first-round pick swap and a 2031 first-round pick. After completing a physical with the young center, the Lakers chose to rescind the trade. It was subsequently reported that Los Angeles found multiple things that they were concerned with enough to rescind the trade.

  Because the trade deadline had already passed, the Hornets and Lakers were unable to rework the deal. It's been reported that Charlotte has reached out to the league to see what their options are after Los Angeles rescinded the deal. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said that the Hornets have not filed any form of official complaint with the league.

• Hornets Have Not Filed Protest Over Rescinded Mark Williams Trade With Lakers

  As part of his annual All-Star Weekend media availability, NBA commissioner Adam Silver was asked about the rescinded trade between the Charlotte Hornets and Los Angeles Lakers. Silver said that the Hornets have not filed any form of formal protest over the Lakers rescinding the trade.

  Los Angeles and Charlotte had agreed to a trade that was set to send center Mark Williams from the Hornets to the Lakers. The Hornets were set to receive Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 first-round pick swap.

  The Lakers ultimately failed Williams when they did a post-trade physical. Los Angeles reportedly had multiple concerns after putting Williams through a physical.