ESPN: DRAFT DAY Trade

Hornets Trade Mark Williams to Mavericks for Jaden Hardy, 2029 Lakers 1st-Round Pick

By Devonte Patullah | ESPN Senior NBA Insider

June 26th, 2025

CHARLOTTE — After months of speculation, the Charlotte Hornets have officially traded center Mark Williams to the Dallas Mavericks, sources tell ESPN. The Hornets are dismantling the old core — and Mark Williams is the latest to go.

In return, Charlotte receives explosive guard Jaden Hardy and a 2029 first-round pick via the Los Angeles Lakers.

Williams, the 7-foot defensive anchor and former lottery pick, was viewed as a key piece of Charlotte’s future. But persistent injury concerns and the Hornets’ front office shift toward asset accumulation ultimately led to today’s deal.

Dallas hopes to plug Williams into their frontcourt rotation immediately, pairing him with Kyrie Irving Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II in a twin-tower experiment. Mark Williams, drafted in 2022, showed elite rim protection but struggled with health and consistency. For Dallas, he offers size and defense in the wake of a full rebuild sparked by Luka’s departure to Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Charlotte adds more draft flexibility and a young scoring guard in Hardy, who averaged 10.6 PPG in limited minutes.

The Hornets have now traded seven players and acquired six first-round picks in just over one week.