NBA Insider Says Mark Williams' Future With Suns Hinges on One Thing

Center Mark Williams is one of the Phoenix Suns' most important free agents this offseason.

This is largely because the Suns gave up two first-round picks to acquire him along with the fact that their frontcourt depth is slim. The hope is rising sophomore Khaman Maluach will eventually take over the starting job, but rushing him into that position is a recipe for disaster.

By re-signing Williams, it will provide Maluach with the proper time to develop while also having a solid center in the starting lineup.

NBA insider Michael Scotto recently addressed Williams' upcoming free agency.

"Mark Williams is going to be a fascinating negotiation for sure because they traded for the guy, they gave up draft capital to get him, and Mark, for most of his career, has had trouble staying healthy," Scotto said on Suns After Dark. "This year he played a decent amount of the games and showed that he could be healthy, but again his range is going to be really fascinating."

Scotto continued, "They drafted Maluach, and it's like you think he's going to be the center of the future, but the kid's still 19 years old. I don't know if he's ready to assume that responsibility right now... I think all of this factors in pretty interestingly for Mark Williams, but yes, he is a guy that they do want to bring back as well; I just think the question comes down to what price point."

As Scotto pointed out, it's tough to say what Williams' market will look like.

Williams has struggled with availability throughout his four NBA seasons but is coming off the healthiest campaign of his career, where he played in 60 games. In the 2025-2026 season, he averaged 11.7 points and 8.0 rebounds on 64.4% shooting.

The reality is there are organizations out there that could take a chance on the 24-year-old and outbid Phoenix. The Suns should do everything in their power to retain him, but just as Scotto mentioned, it all comes down to the price point.

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Anthony Pasciolla is the publisher of SunsRoundtable. He can be reached via email at [email protected] or followed on X @AnthonyPasci.