Charlotte Hornets, Mark Williams | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
The Charlotte Hornets had two of their games last month postponed after the Southern California wildfires left the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers unable to host the Hornets. The league has already rescheduled those contests, with Charlotte visiting the Lakers right after the All-Star break and the Clippers in the middle of March.
Of course, no one was happy about the reason why the face-offs had to be delayed. However, it might be serendipitous that it did, at least for fans who revel in drama. Instead of the Hornets-Lakers tiff becoming just another regular-season game, it might feature some bad blood between the protagonists.
As many know, the organizations are embroiled in a bit of a controversy after the failed trade-deadline deal that saw Mark Williams supposedly heading to Los Angeles. It would have landed Charlotte a brilliant haul that included Dalton Knecht, a 2031 unprotected first-round selection, and a pick swap in 2030.
The teams could be looking for vindication on Feb. 19
In an intriguing turn of events, the issue has taken another twist. Instead of the Hornets quietly accepting their fate and taking Williams back in the fold, they reportedly went to the league office to file a grievance in light of the Lakers’ decision to fail the center’s physical assessment.
When you view it through the Hornets management’s lens, though, it probably had no choice but to fight back.
Some even believe this is just a case of a small-market team refusing to bend to the whims of a marquee franchise that may have experienced buyer’s remorse. Charlotte would have to deal with a possibly disgruntled rising star and a crowded big-man rotation, with Moussa Diabate and Jusuf Nurkic also needing playing time.
Perhaps one of the worst outcomes for the Hive after the drama is that it lost the opportunity to capitalize on Williams’ value. Good luck to the organization finding a similar package for the 23-year-old pro in a future trade.
In the Lakers’ defense, their medical team may have actually seen something about Williams’ health that didn’t make them feel good. Even so, his injury history isn’t exactly a secret. So, Los Angeles knew the risk and should’ve nixed the deal before it was submitted to the league office.
So, it would be interesting to see how the squads’ next bout will fare. It remains to be seen if the Hornets will forget about the tank job for a day and try to put up a good fight on the hardwood floor. Depending on Williams’ response to the situation, he could also grab the chance to show the Lakers what they’ll be missing.