Mark Williams Makes First Post Since Suns-Hornets Trade originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Phoenix Suns are undergoing a significant internal change with all the moves they’ve made in the last week. After going 36-46, changes began immediately, starting with the firing of head coach Mike Budenholzer. Soon after, the Suns moved James Jones into a senior advisory role and installed Brian Gregory as the general manager.
Gregory and owner Mat Ishbia’s relationship dates back to their days at Michigan State, where Ishbia was a player on the 2000 Spartans’ National Championship team, and Gregory was an assistant coach under Mike Izzo. Gregory recently traded Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 overall pick in Wednesday’s NBA Draft and five second-round picks.
Mark Williams makes first post since Suns-Hornets trade
The Suns used the pick to address a significant weakness at the center position, drafting Duke center Khaman Maluach with the tenth pick. The Suns weren’t done yet, as they still possessed the No. 29 pick in the first round. Despite drafting a center with a top-10 pick, the Suns shocked many when they traded the No. 29 pick to the Charlotte Hornets for center Mark Williams.
Shortly after the trade, Williams made his first post on X.com, formerly Twitter.
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— Mark Williams (@MarkWi1liams) June 26, 2025
Shortly after last year’s blockbuster trade that saw the Los Angeles Lakers send Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for superstar Luka Doncic. Shortly after, the Lakers agreed to a trade with the Charlotte Hornets that would send Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2030 pick swap, and an unprotected 2031 first-round pick.
The center position was undoubtedly a position of weakness for the Suns last season. While Jusuf Nurkic can grab rebounds, he’s far from an elite paint defender. Maluach was one of the best anchors of the paint in college basketball last season and demonstrated his ability to shoot the ball in workouts.
It will be interesting to see how the Suns incorporate these players into their current offense and whether they attempt to run a two-big lineup. Considering the rate at which the Suns have been making changes, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them continue to make significant moves later this summer.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.