The Phoenix Suns traded for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams on draft night, dealing the No. 29 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and a 2029 first-round pick, Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro confirmed.
The 7-foot, 241-pound Williams is entering his fourth NBA season out of Duke, coming off career highs of 15.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks per game.
The Suns acquired the No. 29 pick, which originated with Cleveland, from the Utah Jazz in January. Phoenix sent out its 2031 first-round pick, unprotected, in exchange for future firsts that are the least favorable among the Cavs and Timberwolves (2025) and the Cavs, Timberwolves and Jazz (2027, 2029).
Williams was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers at the trade deadline in a move that was canceled by the Lakers because the center was unable to pass a physical.
He becomes the second center Phoenix has acquired from Charlotte this calendar year, joining Nick Richards. He also became the second Duke center acquired on Wednesday after the Houston Rockets selected Khaman Maluach at No. 10 on behalf of Phoenix.
What did the Suns do at No. 10 in 2025 NBA Draft?
Maluach was widely projected to be off the board at No. 10 because of an athletic profile that matches some of the better shot-blocking centers of late. He measured at the NBA Combine at 7-foot, 3/4 inches without shoes with a 7-foot, 6.75-inch wingspan and 9-foot-6 standing reach.
It put him in the range of the Rudy Gobert archetype, but in how Duke used Maluach to defend perimeter players at times, there is intrigue about how well he survived on switches.
A South Sudanese refugee enrolled in an NBA Academy as a 14-year-old, he appeared at the 2023 FIBA World Cup playing for his home country at just 16, the third-youngest player ever to play in a FIBA World Cup event.
At Duke as a freshman last year, Maluach averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in 21.3 minutes per game. He shot 71% overall thanks to his rim-rolling excellence. Still, he tinkered with a three-point shot and hit 4 of 16 over the court of the season. His 77% free-throw accuracy adds to some thought that Maluach might have a chance to develop a jumper.
Phoenix chose Maluach over other bigs projected further down most big boards, including Maryland’s Derik Queen and Georgia’s Asa Newell. Arizona wing Carter Bryant was also in the range.
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