It’s been a week since the trade sending Mark Williams to the Lakers was rescinded, and he still hasn’t rejoined the Hornets, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte played three road games since L.A. decided to void the deal due to the results of Williams’ physical, and Boone believes Hornets officials are giving him time to adjust to the shock of returning to his old team.
Boone points out that if Williams is required to resume playing immediately after the All-Star Break, his first game would be against the Lakers at Staples Center. That contest, originally scheduled for last month, was postponed due to the wildfires and rescheduled for Wednesday.
Boone notes that president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson hasn’t spoken to the media about the Lakers’ decision to call off the deal, and the organization has been silent except for a brief statement it released after the news broke last Saturday. The Hornets have contacted the league office to explore their options, but a source tells Boone that they’re preparing for Williams’ return.
With Williams absent, center Jusuf Nurkic, who was acquired from Phoenix last week, made his Hornets debut in Wednesday’s loss at Orlando. He had nine points and seven rebounds in 16 minutes and made a positive impression on coach Charles Lee.
“I just saw a guy that obviously understands the game at a really high level,” Lee said. “His size, his physicality adds a different element to our group. Defensively, I thought he was good in helping the paint with his communication. And offensively, even showed me a little bit more. “Able to rebound and push the break and I knew he was kind of a good passer but to see him handle it in the open court and make some good decisions. … Another guy you can throw it down to in the paint when you need a bucket or he gets fouled. It was really nice to have him out there.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The two-way contract that Damion Baugh signed with the Hornets this week will also cover next season, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The 24-year-old shooting guard had a strong NBA debut Wednesday with 16 points, five rebounds and three assists off the bench
- Magic coach Jamahl Mosley believes Anthony Black and Tristan Da Silva will benefit from their first trip to All-Star Weekend, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Both players took part in the Rising Stars event Friday night. “It does something when you go to the All-Star game,” Mosley said. “You get to see the league in a different light. You get to be around your peers that you know are at a certain level, and then it instills a little bit of confidence knowing that you belong in that class.
- Wizards rookie center Alex Sarr, another Rising Stars participant, talked to Varun Shankar of The Washington Post about not getting dragged down by difficult moments as he adjusts to the NBA. “I just try to go to the next play because there’s so many plays,” Sarr said. “Who cares you lost the ball? Who cares you missed the shot? Move on and just do something else.”