NBA
Suns Trade No. 29 Pick Of 2025 Draft, 2029 First For Mark Williams
Jackson Frank is a freelance NBA writer located in Philadelphia and has been covering the NBA for nearly 7 years. Previously, he's written at places such as Dime UPROXX, The Athletic and SB Nation. He enjoys a good burger and will always have a soft spot for defensive-minded wings with a shaky jumper.
All posts by Jackson FrankUpdated8 hours ago on June 25, 2025
The Phoenix Suns are trading the 29th overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft and a 2029 first-round pick for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The 2029 first is the least favorable among the Cleveland Cavaliers’, Utah Jazz’s and Minnesota Timberwolves’, Charania reported. ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted that Vasilije Micic will head to Charlotte as well.
The 2029 first-rounder is least favorable of Cleveland, Utah, and Minnesota (1-5 protected), sources said. Size was a problem for the Suns last season and they addressed in a big way with Williams and Khaman Maluach. Hornets net two first-rounders. https://t.co/7eMqTmSPjS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 26, 2025
Last season, Williams averaged 15.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Yet he only suited up for 44 games and has played 106 total games in three NBA seasons. Shortly before that on Wednesday night, the Suns also drafted Duke center Khaman Maluach with the 10th overall pick, which they will receive from the Houston Rockets in the Kevin Durant trade when it becomes official in July.
Over the past five months, the Suns have now spent four first-round picks and two second-round picks to reshape their center room. They acquired Nick Richards and one second-round pick in exchange for Josh Okogie and three second-round picks in January. A few weeks later, they attached a 2026 first-round pick to deal away Jusuf Nurkic to Charlotte.
Now, they’ve exhausted three more first-rounders on two other centers. Williams is a talented rebounder and play-finisher, but his injury history and defensive woes make the price tag pretty precarious, not to mention Maluach’s imminent arrival. In February, the center-starved Los Angeles Lakers initially traded for Williams but the deal was rescinded after Williams failed his physical.
The Suns are not exactly flush with first-round picks. However, they did bolster their stockpile in February when they traded away their 2031 first to the Jazz for the least favorable of Utah’s, Minnesota’s or Cleveland’s firsts in 2025, 2027 and 2029. They’ve since moved two of those to land Williams.
