Jeff Teague knew it, didn’t he? We witnessed one of the most stunning three-team blockbuster trades, so why not? After the Lakers traded Anthony Davis to bring in Luka Dončić, the team had another trade plan which involved acquiring Charlotte Hornets star Mark Williams, as they needed a center. However, the Lakers shockingly backed out of the deal. Williams was a great choice, and the decision came as a shock to many, but not to the former NBA player.

As per the reports, the 2022 No. 15 draft pick didn’t pass the physical. Shams Charania reported that it wasn’t due to the player’s back issues. He stated that the reports “showed multiple issues, and (the Lakers) failed him on the exam.”

But ex-NBA player Jeff Teague wasn’t surprised by how it all went down. Once again, he doubled down. “I told y’all about Mark Williams too,” Teague said on the Club 520 podcast as DJ Wells agreed. “Them knees are… What you calling my s**t cabbage? Y’all want him? Okay, for sure. They was over there praying that n—- pass. On, God. I’d be s—–,” he added.

Even before the Lakers decided to nix the deal, Teague had shared his initial doubts about the trade on his podcast. “They got finessed, for sure. Mark Williams is a young big, but he’s always hurt. So they like, ‘F–, we can get off this.’ They know something we don’t know, you know what I mean?” Teague said.

He added, “You don’t just give up a big center, a young center averaging 15 (points) and damn near 10 (rebounds). It’s something they know that we don’t. That hip f–ed up, for real, you know what I mean? Like, he can get through it, but it ain’t gonna last long.” This was yet another huge deal involving the Lakers, which would have sent rookie Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, their 2031 first-round pick, and a 2030 pick to the Hornets in exchange for Williams.

The Lakers were confident in the trade until the physical. Well, the issue with the Hornets player had been his health from the start. Williams had played only 85 games over the past three years.

Charlotte Hornets have plans to challenge Lakers’ decision on Mark Williams 

Many felt relieved after the Los Angeles Lakers failed to secure a deal to bring in Williams. He was reportedly set to become an instrumental piece alongside Luka Dončić and fill the gap the Lakers created by trading Anthony Davis away. However, despite the process, the Lakers are back to square one as they still don’t have a big man on the roster.

Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets welcomed the player back into their roster. “We are excited to welcome Mark back to our Hornets organization. After the other team aggressively pursued Mark, we made the difficult decision to move him. We have always held great respect for Mark’s talent, work ethic, and character,” the post by Hornets read.

And speaking of the failed trade, the Charlotte Hornets might have different plans. As per Shams Charania, the franchise has gotten in contact with the NBA. “The Charlotte Hornets have been in contact with the NBA as they explore options to dispute the LA Lakers’ failed physical assessment of Mark Williams, sources tell ESPN. The Williams/Dalton Knecht trade was nixed Saturday, and now Hornets weigh avenues to challenge,” Charania wrote.  If reports about Williams’ health are accurate, it could have been a problem for the team, but the Lakers will have now to find the right player in the trade market.