CHARLOTTE – Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams is listed as questionable for Thursday’s game, April 2, against his former team, the Charlotte Hornets, at Spectrum Center.
Williams played his first three NBA seasons with the Hornets before being traded to the Suns, who sent two first-round draft selections to Charlotte for the 7-footer out of Duke.
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Before the 2025-26 season, Williams expressed his feelings towards the Hornets, who looked to move him to the Los Angeles Lakers before last season’s trade deadline, but the trade was rescinded due to Williams failing the Lakers’ team physical.
“Just to be where you’re wanted is always great,” Williams said at the Suns media day on Sept. 24. “To be here is exciting. Charlotte was ultimately where I was drafted to. There was a belief in me at some point, but once you trade me the first time, it was only a matter of time before I was gone. So I knew that was coming. I just intend to make them regret that decision every time I’m on the court.”
Williams missed Phoenix’s last 15 games with left foot third metatarsal stress reaction. The Suns (42-33) are 7-8 during this stretch as they’re coming off a 115-111 loss March 31 to the Orlando Magic in the second of a back-to-back to start this four-game road trip.
Williams missed the first matchup March 8 against the Hornets (40-36) in Phoenix. The Suns won, 111-99.
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Suns coach Jordan Ott said Williams reacted well to playing 5-on-5 for the second time in three days Monday in Memphis.
“Seems like he came out of it pretty well,” Ott said pregame Tuesday. “That’s a good sign. He continues to improve and it seems like we’re getting there.”
Williams is averaging 11.6 points and 8.1 rebounds in a career-high 56 games in his first year in Phoenix after three injury-filled years with the Hornets.
He played a total of 106 games for Charlotte. A first-round pick in the 2022 draft, Williams averaged 12.3 points and 8.8 rebounds in his three years with the Hornets.
Haywood Highsmith (right knee injury management) and Amir Coffey (left ankle sprain) are ruled out of Thursday’s game. Highsmith has missed seven straight games and Coffey has been sidelined eight consecutive games.
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Dillon Brooks made his return in Tuesday’s loss after missing 18 consecutive games with a fractured left hand. Wearing a bandage on his non-shooting left hand, Brooks scored nine points on 4-of-13 shooting.
“Just glad he’s out there,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said after the game. “Seemed to come out healthy. No hits on that thing. He’ll get all that other stuff. Just good to have him out there.”
The Hornets have ruled PJ Hall out with right ankle soreness.
Phoenix is seventh in the West while Charlotte stands 10th in the East.
With seven games left in the regular season, the Suns are 4½ games behind the Houston Rockets (46-29) for sixth. They have a three-game lead on the Los Angeles Clippers (39-37), who are eighth.
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The top six teams advance to the playoffs in each conference while teams 7-10 battle in the play-in tournament for the seventh and eighth seeds.
Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) shoots over Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) during the first quarter at Kia Center in Orlando, on March 31, 2026.
If the play-in started today, the Suns would host the Clippers for the seventh seed in the West. The loser would play the winner of the 9-10 game for the eighth seed.
The Portland Trail Blazers (39-38) are ninth in the West and the Golden State Warriors (36-39) stand 10th.
Phoenix went 2-2 versus the Clippers, 2-1 against the Blazers and 1-3 versus the Warriors, who are down Stephen Curry with a knee injury that has sidelined the superstar for two months.
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Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday that Curry could return before the end of the regular season, the Associated Press reported.
Curry has recently participated in a full practice and ran 5-on-5 with the Warriors.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns big listed questionable as Phoenix faces his former team