The Phoenix Suns are closing the off-season with some very bad news. After trusting the core that delivered such a strong result last season, the Arizona club now must cope with the prolonged absence of Mark Williams due to a significant injury to his left shoulder.
According to the franchise itself, Williams has undergone surgery to repair a tear in the labrum of his left shoulder and will be out for several months. Although the team has chosen not to set a timetable, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports indicates that the player’s absence could run around five months.
After a year in which he played up to 60 games on the court, the Suns showed their trust in him by signing a three-year, $38 million extension. It seemed like a price aligned with what Williams can offer, but this injury disrupts their plans.
Now it remains to be seen how Phoenix rebuilds its game plan under the guidance of Jordan Ott. Last season Williams averaged 11.7 points, 8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 23.6 minutes per game, numbers that attest to his weight in the rotation.
Have the Lakers dodged the Mark Williams bullet?
That’s what more than one person will think. While watching him play regularly during the 2025-26 season suggested that the Lakers were wrong to cancel the trade to acquire Williams, time has ultimately vindicated them, as they backed away arguing that the center had not passed the medical examination.
Is it being opportunistic? Perhaps, but the course of events is precisely for that, to settle judgments in hindsight. In any case, now they have to deal with a Walker Kessler who comes off an even more serious injury. Let’s hope both are well, and on the floor, as soon as possible.
