{"id":19868,"date":"2025-06-27T19:35:09","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T19:35:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/19868\/"},"modified":"2025-06-27T19:35:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T19:35:09","slug":"team-slammed-for-giving-hornets-too-much","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/19868\/","title":{"rendered":"Team slammed for giving Hornets too much"},"content":{"rendered":"

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V.J. Edgecombe selected No. 3 by the Philadelphia 76ers<\/p>\n

Bryan Kalbrosky breaks down the game of newly drafted NBA player out of Baylor, V.J. Edgecombe<\/p>\n

Sports Pulse<\/p>\n

The Phoenix Suns received rave reviews for picking Khaman Maluach<\/a> with the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but the team also pulled off a big trade on draft night, landing Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets<\/a> for the No. 29 pick in the draft and a future first-round pick.<\/p>\n

The early grades for the trade aren’t quite as positive as for their draft pick, with writers questioning whether the Suns gave up too much for Williams, especially right after acquiring another big man in the draft.<\/p>\n

Did the Suns give up too much for Williams? Check out the early reviews for the trade, which range from a B to an F, with each writer’s explanation for their grade.<\/p>\n

‘What on earth?’: <\/strong>Phoenix Suns’ trade for Mark Williams blasted by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith<\/a><\/p>\n

For the Win<\/a>: Suns get a B for Mark Williams trade<\/p>\n

Robert Zeglinski writes: “So, Williams is now a Sun. If Williams can stay healthy, the 23-year-old center is an athletic rim-runner who also protects the rim rather well. In this event, he\u2019ll be worth the trade price. He can be a building block for a Phoenix team that is somewhat starting over after trading Kevin Durant. But again, the key is whether he can stay healthy enough to be reliable. And that remains to be seen.”<\/p>\n

Khaman Maluach NBA Draft grades 2025: <\/strong>Did Phoenix Suns ace No. 10 pick?<\/a><\/p>\n

Fansided<\/a>: Suns earn a C+ for Mark Williams trade<\/p>\n

Wynston Wilcox writes: “As part of the deal, they traded away the No. 29 pick and a 2029 first-round pick. It\u2019s a move the Suns needed to make to get a better frontcourt. They traded Yusuf Nurkic and now without Durant, they needed more height. They still have the backcourt of Bradley Beal and Devin Booker. It looks like they\u2019re going to build around them for now and they felt adding Williams was the best move for that. I think if they were going to do that, they probably shouldn\u2019t have given up draft capital as well. They need draft capital, not to expend it.”<\/p>\n

NBA Draft 2025 live updates: <\/strong>Tracker, picks, trades, analysis, reaction from first round<\/a><\/p>\n

Draft Kings<\/a>: Suns receive an F for Mark Williams trade<\/p>\n

Stan Son writes: “This trade occurred right after selecting center Khaman Maluach with the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Suns now have Williams, Maluach, Nick Richards and Oso Ighodaro at center. The youth movement has started in Phoenix after sending Kevin Durant to Houston, but to spend the draft capital on an often-injured center right after selecting a young, promising one in the draft seems like an unwise use of draft capital.”<\/p>\n

Fadeaway World<\/a>: Suns land a C+ for Mark Williams trade<\/p>\n

Eddie Bitar writes: “After cashing in on Deandre Ayton and Jusuf\u202fNurkic in recent seasons, Phoenix has reset the middle, clearly betting on internal development over splashy moves. That said, the cost is steep: they surrendered both the No.\u202f29 pick and a 2029 first-rounder to land Williams, adding to a fragile stash. Their first-round capital is nearly wiped out through 2029, and payroll is pushing the luxury tax hard. In a cap-strapped regime, sacrificing future ammo for a mid-tier starter may be short-sighted, especially if Williams and Maluach fail to reach star ceilings or if injuries derail progress. A C+ grade reflects both the clever direction and the inherent risk.”<\/p>\n

Reach Jeremy Cluff\u00a0at\u00a0jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com<\/a>.\u00a0Follow him on X, formerly Twitter\u00a0@Jeremy_Cluff.<\/a><\/p>\n

Support local journalism: Subscribe to\u00a0azcentral.com<\/a>\u00a0today.<\/p>\n