Every day, we’re previewing another member of the 2026-27 Phoenix Suns to get you ready for training camp and the preseason.
Mark Williams
Center, 7’1”, 240 pounds, 24 years old, 5th season
This season was going to be big for Williams to see if last year’s off-court strengthening work and rest management would pay off in the form of healthy feet and back, allowing him to demonstrate his full potential. Entering his age-25 season, ready to hit his prime and more consistently deliver the strengths seen in the highlight
video below. That plan took a major detour when he injured his left labrum in a training pickup game earlier this month, having repair surgery on September 10. Recovery has been estimated at five months.
This accelerated Khaman Maluach’s timeline, which could prove to be a good thing. Undoubtedly, it reduced the Suns’ center depth for at least 3/4 of the regular season. He contributed a career-best 6.3 win shares, most of that on the offensive side, and, by all accounts, was a good teammate, often injecting himself into post-game TV interviews. The team believed in his value, signing him to a guaranteed three-year $38 million contract in the offseason.
I think he’ll find a way to have a valuable role later this year…more to come in the “Prediction” section below.
Last Season
Williams started 55 of the 60 games played. He rested back-to-back games as part of injury management on the back and foot. This worked well much of the season, but then he had recurrences of left foot injuries in March and April.
He had a field goal percentage over 64%, making good on a shot chart-dense area near the basket. But he continues to show good touch on free throws, with a career make rate of 76% and over 78% the past two seasons. This suggests some untapped ability to shoot. His shot volume limited points to 11.7 per game.
Rebounding of 8.0 per game seems a bit low until you account for this coming on under 24 minutes (or half a game). Offensive rebounding was strong, ranking 13th in the NBA at 4.7 per 36 minutes.
There were some flashy blocks, but overall rim protection was less than ideal. Better offensive performance is reflected in higher offensive win shares (4.0) compared to defensive win shares (2.3), per Basketball Reference.
Contract and Roster Context
Mark begins the season inactive due to the injury. This season’s Salary is $11,728,395, ramping to $12,666,667 in 2027-28 and $13,604,938 in 2028-2029.
All three years are guaranteed. He is not eligible to be traded until after January 15, 2027. He is expected to still be in recovery from the labral injury at that point, likely into March. Even then, to be traded would require passing a physical and demonstrating on some level that his skills have not diminished.
What He Brings
Williams is elite as a finisher, shooting 67.2% at the rim per BBALL Index. He has good hands and is somewhat aggressive running the floor and rolling on half-court possessions. Watching games, it felt like there was an unusually high rate of rim rolls where the pass never came. If trust is further developed with Book and the playmakers, this strength could be magnified.
As mentioned in the review of last season, he is particularly effective as an offensive rebounder. Part of this involves his positioning, which was rarely toward the perimeter. Only 12 players in the NBA were better per minute at grabbing them; it’s a skill, and he has it.
Something long-time Suns fans craved was a center with real size and skill. When healthy, Williams provided this. In addition to the height/weight combination at the top of this article, he has a wingspan over 7’6” and a 9’9” standing reach! On defense, this helps as a rim deterrent and also allows some big lineups when matchups call for it.
What Needs to Improve
The obvious thing is availability. We know he will miss the majority of the regular season. Upon that return, can he string together a stretch of games with no setbacks or new injuries? Will all the strength training and extra rest during labrum recovery benefit foot and back health?
There is potential for him to be a more consistent force on defense. Better lower-body strength and conditioning may help with this. Being around the system for a second year could lead to better defensive positioning, specifically avoiding dropping too low in the post.
To be fully effective in the Suns’ offense, he needs to provide the occasional threat of an outside shot. He only got up one three-pointer last year (making it). Can he get up on a game and make some of those, even if below average?
Prediction
The line below is lower than Williams’ prior four seasons. I expect there will be some low-minute games as he works his way back, which will skew the per-game averages downward. There are 14 games from the five-month timetable post-surgery. Two of those are back-to-back, and I suspect he’ll be held out of those.
I expect a different role, backing up Maluach, unless spot starts are needed due to injuries there. He could provide good value here in the limited minutes, crashing the glass and providing some post presence. Note, I’ve projected 28% three-point percentage. My hot take is that he’ll use the left shoulder rehab time working on his long-range shooting (which is right-handed), and use the late-season minutes to test this in real games. The free-throw percentages project a chance at developing a three-ball, which Ott likes to see from his big men.
The Boston Celtics alone provide three examples of injured bigs returning for a playoff run and making a big difference: Bill Walton (’86), Kevin McHale (’87), and Robert Williams (’22). The best hope this year is to return and make a real difference off the bench in the playoffs.
Stat Prediction: 12 Games, 6.5 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 0.4 APG, 63/28/78 shooting
Final Word
Some have probably written off Williams after yet another injury. Given the health history, it would be unwise to go into a future season counting on him as a nightly starter. I suggest we view his contributions as an added bonus, one that could help the Suns take it to another level if Maluach has asserted himself as the starter.
