The world didn't actually end when the Los Angeles Lakers rescinded their trade for Mark Williams with the Hornets. A failed physical saved them from losing one of their unprotected picks. He returned to Charlotte for the rest of the season, and Phoenix traded for him last offseason. The 24-year-old will be a restricted free agent this summer, another headache LA avoided.
Jake Fischer of The Stein Line reported on Thursday that the Bulls could make a push to sign Williams, given their need for a center (subscription required).
There is an anticipation that Williams, like Detroit's Jalen Duren and Utah's Walker Kessler, will attempt to generate interest from Chicago in restricted free agency since the Bulls are projected to wield some $65 million in salary cap space. Projecting the Bulls' offseason intentions with certitude will naturally be easier once they've installed a new head of basketball operations, but Chicago's lack of a proven center on the current roster is undeniable.
Bulls could go after Mark Williams in restricted free agency
The Lakers don't have their center of the future situation figured out, though they thought they had by agreeing to trade for Williams. His health was obviously a major concern, enough for them to veto the deal, and although he played a career-high 60 regular-season games for the Suns, he didn't play in any of their four playoff games because of a stress reaction in his foot.
Imagine if the trade had gone through, with LA giving up a first-round pick, only for Williams to miss time when the team needed him most. Now, imagine if he were unavailable for the playoffs this season, and the Bulls made him an offer that the Lakers didn't want to match.
The trade would've been essentially for nothing, so while Los Angeles does need to find a lob threat for Dončić, moving forward with Williams would've been a big risk. Keeping him around might not have been worth it, either.
The Lakers helped create financial flexibility for themselves to build around Dončić, and in theory, Williams would've been a good center to pair with their superstar, but availability matters. The Suns may not feel compelled to match an offer sheet from the Bulls because of that, just a year after trading two first-round picks for him. At least they have Khaman Maluach, right?
Sometimes things don't work out for a reason, as is the case with LA and Williams. Phoenix can figure out how to navigate his future, while the Lakers look for theirs elsewhere.
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