As Mark Williams slowly works back into form following the rescinding of the Lakers trade, Jusuf Nurkic is settling into his role as Charlotte’s reserve center.

Austin Reaves' frustration got the best of him, leading to an ejection in the third quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers' 100-97 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. Speaking to reporters after the game,

The Los Angeles Lakers closed the first half of the 2024-25 NBA regular season with a loss to a lottery-bound opponent, and that's how they opened the second half, too. The Charlotte Hornets went into Crypto.

One of the more puzzling parts of the trade deadline earlier this month was when the Lakers announced that their trade to acquire big man Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets was rescinded just 48 hours after it was announced.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets aren't considered rivals, but there will be some bad blood between the two squads when they face each other on Wednesday. According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst,

The agent for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams says the Los Angeles Lakers should not have failed his client’s physical examination.

When the Hornets dealt Mark Williams and acquired Jusuf Nurkic, it was not exactly expected for the two to have to play together. The league had other plans, however, with Williams deal to Los Angeles being rescinded.

The Los Angeles Lakers' failed Mark Williams trade got even messier on Thursday, when Williams' agent released a statement to ESPN's Dave McMenamin refuting the team's claim that he failed his physical.

The Charlotte Hornets are set to face the Sacramento Kings on Monday at 10 p.m. ET, following one of the worst losses in the organization's history. Before hitting the court against the Kings, Charlotte was blown out in a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers .

The Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets had an unusual game on Wednesday, facing off after their trade for Mark Williams fell apart. It was the first game Williams played for Charlotte since he reportedly failed his physical and then had to return to the team that had agreed on a deal that would send him to Los Angeles.

If anyone thought the Mark Williams trade fiasco was over, think again. Despite all parties returning to their teams and even facing off last night, not to ment