(CHARLOTTE SPORTS LIVE) — The Charlotte Hornets have been in the NBA spotlight in their attempted trade with the Los Angeles Lakers that hasn’t quite gone as expected.
Last week, Hornets center Mark Williams was the key piece in a deal that was supposed to send Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and a first-round draft back to Charlotte. But on Saturday, the trade had been rescinded by the Lakers. None of the players involved have played in a game since – for either team.
Here is a timeline of events that have led to this back-and-forth saga:
Jan. 27: The Lakers defeat the Hornets in Charlotte 112-107. LA center Anthony Davis scores 42 points and grabs 23 rebounds opposite Williams.
Feb. 1: Lakers agree to trade Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick to the Mavericks for Luka Doncic, leaving Los Angeles without a true starting center. The Jazz also were involved in the deal that made shockwaves throughout the league.
Thursday, Feb. 6, just after midnight: Hornets agree to trade Williams to the Lakers.
Thursday, Feb. 6, afternoon: Hornets agree to trade Cody Martin and Vasa Micic to the Suns for center Jusef Nurkic and a 2026 first-round pick.
Friday, Feb. 7, evening: Lakers announce Doncic won’t play in first game with team until Monday, Feb. 10. ESPN had swapped its Friday night game to air LA’s game against the Pacers on Saturday.
Friday Feb. 7, night: Hornets defeat the Spurs, 117-116, after Miles Bridges hit a game-winning 3 with less than 2 seconds left. Two-way player Moussa Diabate starts at center, scoring 9 points, grabbing 15 rebounds and dunking on 7-foot-4 fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama.
Saturday, Feb. 8, afternoon: LeBron James sat out the Pacers game, meaning he, Doncic and none of the players from the Hornets trade were available.
Saturday, Feb. 8, night: The Lakers rescind the Williams trade, citing the Hornets’ supposed “failure to satisfy a condition of the trade.” Many believe it has to do with the health of Williams, who has only played in 84 out of a possible 212 NBA games due to injuries.
The team made the following statement, saying in part: “After the other team aggressively pursued Mark, we made the difficult decision to move him. We have always held great respect for Mark’s talent, work ethic and character. … His return strengthens our team, and we look forward to the impact he will make on and off the court.”
Sunday, Feb. 9: The Hornets sign Moussa to a multi-year deal, removing the two-way label.
Monday, Feb. 10: The Hornets explore options to dispute the Lakers’ “failed physical assessment” of Williams, ESPN reports, and remain in contact with the NBA.
Feb. 11, afternoon: ESPN reports the Lakers will sign Kings center Alex Len, who previously planned on signing with Pacers.
Feb. 11, afternoon: Hornets do not list Williams on their injury report for their Feb. 12 game at the Magic. Diabate, who suffered an eye injury against the Nets Sunday, is listed as questionable.
Looking ahead: The Hornets will travel to LA to play the Lakers on Feb. 19, coming out of the All-Star break in a game rescheduled due to the Los Angeles wildfires in January.
