On Friday, Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (foot) won't play against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Due to left foot injury management, Williams will be out of action for the second leg of a back-to-back set. The big man finished with 19 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks across 31 minutes in a 115-98 victory over the Knicks on Wednesday. His next chance to suit up is Sunday against the Heat. Jusuf Nurkic and Moussa Diabate should fill the void at the center with Williams on the shelf.
Boston Celtics center Mark Williams (left foot, injury management) won't play on Saturday against Brooklyn. He wasn't available for Friday's one-point loss to the Cavaliers, resulting in Jusuf Nurkic (neck) getting the start and finishing with 12 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one block. But with Nurkic doubtful, Moussa Diabate, averaging 6.4 points and 10.3 rebounds in seven starts this season, would presumably take over in the middle. But even if Taj Gibson earns the start, Diabate should eclipse him from a workload standpoint.
Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (foot) will miss the front half of a back-to-back on Friday due to injury management on his foot. Williams hasn't played both games of a back-to-back all season, so sitting out against the Cleveland Cavaliers means he should be back in the lineup against the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday. Jusuf Nurkic (back) is considered probable, so he'd be the best streaming option for fantasy managers looking for big man stats. Otherwise, Moussa Diabate could see some minutes off of the bench for those in deeper leagues. He posted six points, four rebounds, one assist, and one block across 12 minutes in their last game.
Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (foot) has been ruled out of Monday's game against the Sacramento Kings with injury management on his left foot. This is partially expected since Williams hasn't played both halves of a back-to-back and the Hornets have a game against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. Jusuf Nurkic should see a significant bump in minutes for this contest. In four games with his new team, Nurkic averages 7.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. He'll likely be a popular streamer in regular fantasy leagues as well as an option in DFS lineups.
Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (conditioning) has been removed from the injury report ahead of Saturday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. The big man figures to be back in action on Saturday after sitting out of Thursday's game, which was the second leg of a back-to-back set. It seems likely that the Hornets are going to continue having LaMelo Ball (ankle) and Williams on a rest program during back-to-back sets. Both players are expected to be back in action for Saturday's game. Jusuf Nurkic finished with nine points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists in 18 minutes of action during a spot start on Thursday. He has been decent during his three appearances in Charlotte. Fantasy managers might want to consider Nurkic a low-end streaming option going forward.
Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (reconditioning) will not play on the second night of the team's back-to-back set coming out of the All-Star break. Williams played 29 minutes in the Hornets' win over the Lakers on Wednesday, chipping in 10 points and nine rebounds after not playing for two weeks while he was traded to the Lakers but then the trade was rescinded due to concerns with Williams' medicals. In addition to Williams' absence, LaMelo Ball (right ankle injury management) will also get the night off on Thursday, meaning the Hornets' offense will likely run through KJ Simpson, Elfrid Payton, Nick Smith, and Seth Curry in the backcourt while Jusuf Nurkic and Moussa Diabate will pick up work in place of Williams. Diabate had good numbers while Williams was out, but he and Nurk will have to try and slow down Nikola Jokic in addition to contributing on the offensive end on Thursday.
Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (conditioning) is available ahead of Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Williams will make his return to the court after missing the final four games before the All-Star break. It was unclear how the Hornets planned to use Williams in their rotation after the trade with the Lakers fell through. Despite that, Williams will get the start on Wednesday. He's expected to have Jusuf Nurkic as his primary backup, which is bad news for anyone who is rostering Moussa Diabate. Fantasy managers who have Williams rostered can go ahead and get him active on Wednesday.
Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (conditioning) is expected to suit up for Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The big man missed the final four games before the All-Star break after the trade with the Lakers fell apart due to a failed physical. This is an awkward situation, but it seems like the Hornets are still going to use Williams in their rotation. The 23-year-old has a ton of potential and the only way for him to continue building trade value would be to keep playing. Moussa Diabate has been removed from the injury report and could see a larger role in the rotation down the stretch.
Mark Williams Fails Physical, Heading Back To Charlotte
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the trade between the Lakers and Hornets involving center Mark Williams and forward Dalton Knecht was voided. Both teams agreed on the deal ahead of the deadline. However, it was contingent on both players passing a physical. Per Charania, Williams failed his physical, with the Lakers medical staff finding "multiple issues," none of which were related to his pre-existing back injury. It's unknown if Williams is healthy enough to play. But if he is sidelined, Jusuf Nurkic, who was acquired by the Hornets from the Suns, and Moussa Diabate will handle things in the middle.
According to Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick, center Mark Williams won't play on Saturday versus Indiana. The trade that will send him from Charlotte to Los Angeles isn't complete, although it looks like he'll make his debut on Monday against the Utah Jazz. Without Williams in the equation, Jaxson Hayes, who had 11 points, three rebounds, one steal, and one block in Thursday's win over the Warriors, will likely stay in the starting lineup. However, Jarred Vanderbilt logged 21 minutes on his way to 14 rebounds on Thursday, so he remains in line for more work, especially with Luka Doncic (calf) and LeBron James (ankle) officially ruled out.