Williams Stays with Suns
Phoenix Suns Re-Sign Starting Center Mark Williams to Three-Year, $38 Million Guaranteed Contract
Key Points
Phoenix acquired Mark Williams in a draft-day trade with Charlotte on June 30, 2025, sending the 29th pick Liam McNeeley and a 2029 first-round pick (the least favorable of Cleveland, Minnesota or Utah) to the Hornets in exchange for Williams.
In Williams’ first season with Phoenix, he appeared in 60 games with 55 starts, averaged 11.7 points and 8.0 rebounds, and shot 64.4% from the floor; he dealt with late-season injuries that sidelined him during the playoffs.
The contract is fully guaranteed for three years at $38 million, reinforcing the Suns' commitment to Williams as a central piece of their core.
Analyst cap discussions note that the signing could push Phoenix over the first apron while leaving roughly $5.8 million under the second apron, highlighting nuanced luxury-tax implications.
The roster project for 2026-27 includes Williams anchoring the center position alongside potential minutes for Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach, with Suns also having re-signed Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin and drafting Koa Peat to bolster the 15-man squad.
The Phoenix Suns have agreed to bring back center Mark Williams on a three-year, fully guaranteed $38 million deal, according to ESPN. The signing locks in the 24-year-old as Phoenix's starting center and caps a busy offseason for a team that finished 45-37 last season.
Williams, a restricted free agent, averaged 11.7 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 64.4% from the field in 60 games last season. A late-season foot injury kept him out of the first-round playoff series against Oklahoma City, but the Suns bet on his upside anyway.
A Draft-Day Gamble That Paid Off Enough to Keep
Phoenix acquired Williams from Charlotte on June 25, 2025 — draft night — sending the No. 29 pick (Liam McNeeley) and a 2029 conditional first-rounder to the Hornets. It was a high-risk move. Just months earlier, a trade that would have sent Williams to the Lakers fell apart after he reportedly failed a physical, according to Hoops Rumors.
The Suns chose not to extend Williams before the season. General Manager Brian Gregory said the team wanted to be "strategic" and see Williams prove his durability first, per Sports Illustrated. He did enough — 60 games, a career high — before the foot injury ended his year early.
$38 Million Deal Puts Suns on a Luxury-Tax Tightrope
The contract averages about $12.7 million per year — well below what a healthy starting center typically commands. ESPN analyst Bobby Marks called the annual average a "discount" for a starter of Williams' caliber. Still, the deal pushes Phoenix over the first apron and leaves the team only about $5.8 million below the second apron hard cap, according to Hoops Rumors.
The second apron matters because crossing it strips teams of key roster-building tools — like the ability to combine player salaries in trades. The Suns' total payroll now exceeds $200 million, per Burn City Sports. Owner Mat Ishbia recently said, "We've defined our identity and aligned everyone — owner, GM, coach, players — it's action time."
Williams Faces Internal Competition From Two Young Centers
Williams will not walk into an easy situation at center. Rookie Khaman Maluach, drafted 10th overall, and backup Oso Ighodaro — who posted a +5.1 net rating last season — both push for minutes, according to Valley of the Suns. Some analysts suggested their rise made Williams "expendable" in trade talks before the Suns chose continuity.
National analysts at CBS Sports suggest the three-year length signals the Suns may view Williams as a bridge to Maluach rather than the permanent center of the future. Williams himself stayed calm through the uncertainty last year, saying, "I'll just let my game take care of itself. Just focus on basketball."
Suns Build Out a Young Core Around Devin Booker
The Williams deal is the third major re-signing of the offseason. Phoenix also locked up guard Collin Gillespie on a 4-year, $48 million deal and Jordan Goodwin on a 3-year, $19 million deal, per Burn City Sports. The Suns also moved up to draft Arizona native Koa Peat with the No. 30 pick on June 24.
With 14 of 15 roster spots now filled, Phoenix is betting that last year's 45-win season was a floor, not a ceiling. The team finished eighth in the Western Conference. GM Gregory said the club's focus is clear: "Our continuity, our development, our internal development is so critical for us right now," per Hoops Rumors.
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