Remember the excitement from the Atlanta Hawks' Kristaps Porziņġis trade? Of course you do. He and Trae Young were supposed to be a star duo, but that didn't work out as planned (though that wasn't a bad thing). The reason for that was injuries, which is why the front office needs to proceed with caution when it comes to landing another oft-injured big man this offseason — Mark Williams.
Bobby Marks of ESPN recently ranked the top 20 free agents for the summer (unrestricted and restricted), and listed the best fits for each player. He listed the Atlanta Hawks several times for centers set to hit FA, including Williams, whom he ranked as the fifth-best restricted free agent.
To get Williams, they'd have to commit to signing him to a multi-year deal, unlike the Porziņgis trade. They didn't extend KP by last year's deadline, choosing instead to wait and see how the season went. Injuries and health concerns limited him to just 17 games in the first half of the season. Atlanta saw what it needed to see and sent him to Golden State in February.
It wouldn't be that simple with Williams. Marks said that the deal he'd offer the center would be a three-year, $42 million contract. It will be hard for Phoenix, where he spent the past season, to keep him and do what else it needs to this summer, meaning the Suns could decide to let him go. If they do, they'll want it to be in a sign-and-trade, which could further complicate things.
Hawks need to be wary of Mark Williams' injury history
Williams is coming off a season in which he played a career-high 60 games, up from his previous career high (the season before) of 44. After Phoenix traded for the center on draft night, the team prioritized getting him in the best shape possible for the season because of his history. It was successful, but not to the extent they hoped for.
The Suns made it past the play-in tournament to advance to the playoffs, and Williams didn't play at all in their second play-in game, nor in the first round of the playoffs against the Thunder due to a foot injury. His final game of the season was in their first play-in game against the Trail Blazers, where he had four points, four rebounds, three blocks, and two assists in 22 minutes.
With the Hawks building off their success from the 2025-26 season, they'll need a reliable big man. As encouraging as it is that Williams showed improvement in that category with the Suns, he still couldn't play when they needed him most. The stakes would be higher if Atlanta made a financial commitment to him.
Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game, and most of the time, you can't control them. That risk is always present, but even more so for players like Williams, who has struggled to stay on the floor since he entered the league in 2022.
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