11:55 am: Williams’ recovery is expected to last approximately five months, reports Gambadoro (Twitter link). That could put him on track to return to action in February, barring setbacks.
11:16 am: Suns center Mark Williams sustained a torn labrum in his left shoulder during an offseason workout, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the big man underwent surgery on Thursday to repair the tear.
While there’s no specific timeline for Williams’ return to the court, it’s safe to assume he’ll be sidelined for at least part of the regular season. Charania says the big man is expected to miss an “extended period,” while plugged-in Suns reporter John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 tweets that the recovery process will take a “considerable amount of time.”
Gambadoro adds (via Twitter) that Williams will likely end up missing several months, which would be consistent with the recovery timelines for other NBA players who have suffered similar injuries in recent years.
After dealing with foot/ankle, thumb, and back injuries during his first three NBA seasons for the Hornets, Williams appeared in a career-high 60 regular season games for the Suns last season following an offseason trade that sent him from Charlotte to Phoenix. The former 15th overall pick played in just four games after March 3 due to a stress reaction in his left foot, but posted solid numbers overall, making 55 starts and averaging 11.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 23.6 minutes per night.
Williams earned a qualifying offer from the Suns in June, making him a restricted free agent, then quickly agreed to terms with the club on a three-year, $38MM contract. That deal is fully guaranteed and will run through the 2028/29 season.
With Williams on the shelf, Phoenix figures to lean more heavily on a pair of young big men, third-year forward/center Very Ighodaro and second-year center Khaman Maluach.
Ighodaro appeared in all 82 Suns regular season games in 2025/26, averaging 6.5 PPG and 5.1 RPG in 22.0 MPG. As Bobby Marks of ESPN observes (via Twitter), Phoenix had a net rating of +5.1 when the 24-year-old was on the court, compared to a -2.5 mark when he sat.
Maluach, the 10th overall pick in the 2025 draft, played a modest role as a rookie, logging just 8.9 minutes per contest in 46 appearances. However, he made a case at the Las Vegas Summer League in July that he’s ready for an increased role, submitting averages of 19.5 PPG, 12.8 RPG, and 2.0 BPG in four outings.