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Suns big Mark Williams discusses his 1-game suspension
Mark Williams received a one-game suspension for his dust-up with Jose Alvarado in the Suns’ victory over the Pelicans on Dec. 27, 2025.
The Republic
Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams did not censor himself when discussing his reaction to the Los Angeles Lakers rescinding a trade for him last season.
The 7-foot-1-inch starting big discussed it on “The Old Man and The Three” podcast on Thursday, Jan. 1. He was on the show with teammates Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin and Ryan Dunn.
“Honestly like (expletive) y’all,” Williams, who was being traded from the Charlotte Hornets, said. “Really. I was excited to go there (to the Lakers). I thought I was a piece that could really help them going into the playoffs. And then once they lost, obviously I tweeted a little smiley face. I was hating.”
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Williams is referring to how he reacted when the Lakers were beaten by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the postseason. Williams tweeted the smiley emoji face. The move went viral.
Williams was officially traded from the Hornets to the Lakers on Feb. 6, and it was announced two days later that the trade was rescinded.
The Lakers said Williams failed their physical exam. Williams, his representation and the Hornets said that was not the case. There were mixed reports in the media, and Williams ended up playing 21 of the remaining 33 games of the season.
In the playoffs, Lakers head coach JJ Redick did not play a center for a single second in their do-or-die Game 5. The Lakers’ centers were healthy, but not good enough to play.
Williams was healthy enough to play, and that season was good enough to average 15.3 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game. He shot 60.4% from the field and averaged 1.2 blocks per game.
Williams even showed the Lakers what they missed out on in his first game back to the hardwood after the trade was rescinded. It was against the Lakers, and he chipped in 10 points en route to a Hornets win.
“You went off that night, right?” Williams was asked.
“Yeah, I mean,” Williams began before Goodwin, who was on the Lakers last season, interjected.
“He was hooping,” Goodwin explained.
“Just another night in the office,” Williams continued. “(I was) just trying to show the rest of the time, honestly like (expletive) y’all.”
After the trade was rescinded, Williams shot 62.5% from the field and 84.1% from the free throw line. He averaged 10.8 rebounds per game and 1.3 blocks per game.
“We thought he was a done deal,” Goodwin said. “And like one day we come out, boom, what happened? (They said) his knee was busted. He just played like last week, so I was so confused. That was crazy. It was just weird seeing like, (Dalton Knecht, who was traded for Williams) had left.
“(Knecht) was already gone. So his locker and all that stuff was out of there. (Williams) was right by me. His name was right by my locker. So I’m like, ‘All right, I already know him a little bit’ so I’m like, ‘I’m kind of excited. All right a big fella coming over here.’ Next day that (expletive) was gone.”
This season, Williams is shooting a career-high 65.6% from the field offensively and averaging a career-high 1.2 steals per game. He is posting 12.8 points per game. He is shooting 84.6% from the field so far against the Lakers this year (three games), while averaging 17 points per game and two blocks per game in those contests.