OUT - Maxi Kleber (R Foot) Game Preview: The Hornets and the Los Angeles Lakers are both playing their first game since the end of th

After the Lakers traded for Luka Doncic, they nearly got Mark Williams from the Hornets, too. The two teams meet Wednesday. Here's what happened.

The absence of all three players was a factor in the Lakers losing 131-119 to Utah on Wednesday. They hold a 32-20 record and are in fifth place in the Western Conference, and they're just half a game behind the fourth-place Houston Rockets and three games behind the second-place Memphis Grizzlies.

Alongside the saga with Williams, the Hornets are dealing with a series of injuries that could impact their performance against the Lakers. Key player LaMelo Ball, who boasts averages of 27.3 points, 7.2 assists, and 5.1 rebounds, is probable with right ankle soreness. Charlotte has gone 1-18 this season when he's not in the lineup.

What a poetic turn of events this could turn out to be, as Mark Williams is set to return for the Hornets in a game vs. the Lakers.

In another serving of NBA irony, Mark Williams is expected to make his Charlotte Hornets return after a failed trade to the Los Angeles Lakers against the Lakers.