"Return date to be set later"… Mark Williams' $38 million contract, surgery after 65 days
Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams underwent left shoulder surgery on September 10, 65 days after re-signing for 3 years and $38 million. The team has not set a return date.
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65 days. That is the time from July 7, 2026, when Mark Williams made his re-signing with the Phoenix Suns official, to September 10 (U.S. local time), when he underwent left shoulder surgery. The 24-year-old center, who played a career-high 60 games last season, is out of the lineup before the new season begins.
Mark Williams surgery: left shoulder labral tear, return date undetermined
On September 11, Arizona Sports reported that Williams underwent surgery the day before to treat a torn labrum in his left shoulder. The labrum is a rim of cartilage that wraps around the shoulder joint and stabilizes it. The injury occurred during offseason training.
The team's statement was brief. In it, the Phoenix Suns said, "A timeline for his return to play will be determined at a later date." Local broadcaster AZFamily also addressed the void at center and reiterated that the team has not announced a return timeline.
It is local reporters, not the team, who put a number on the length of his absence. NBC Sports reported the possibility of an absence of at least 5 months, citing a projection by local reporter John Gambadoro. Adding 5 months to the surgery date points to around February next year.
Mark Williams' $38 million contract, first-year salary of $11.72 million
| Season | Salary | Share of total |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | 11,728,395 | 30.9% |
| 2027-28 | 12,666,667 | 33.3% |
| 2028-29 | 13,604,938 | 35.8% |
| Total | 38,000,000 | 100% |
Arizona Sports reported the terms of the new contract on June 26. The private contract database SalarySwish lists the same total. Adding up the three season salaries listed on HoopsHype gives exactly $38 million.
The money tied to the injury season is $11,728,395. That does not mean this amount is automatically confirmed as a loss to the team for the length of the absence. Whether insurance coverage or an exception to salary payment applies has not been confirmed. The detailed figures are based on reports, not on a publicly released team contract.
Phoenix Suns top 6 salaries for the 2026-27 season (checked 2026.09.14, payroll update time unknown, excluding payments to waived players)
| Rank | Player | Salary (US dollars) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Devin Booker | 57,078,728 |
| 2 | Jalen Green | 36,251,166 |
| 3 | Miles Bridges | 22,826,087 |
| 4 | Dillon Brooks | 19,992,727 |
| 5 | Mark Williams | 11,728,395 |
| 6 | Collin Gillespie | 10,714,286 |
Ranking the Basketball-Reference payroll table by amount, Williams is fifth on the team. His salary is about 20.5% of Booker's, and the gap with sixth-place Gillespie is $1,014,109. However, because the update time is not indicated, it is hard to treat this as an official ranking.
Career-high 60 games, void at center: Maluach and Ighodaro to get more playing time
| Category | Games (starts) | Points | Rebounds | Field goal % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 season | 60 (55) | 11.7 | 8.0 | 64.4% |
| Career (through 2025-26) | 166 (132) | 12.0 | 8.5 | 62.9% |
The backdrop to the new contract was last season's games played. According to AZFamily, Williams appeared in 60 games in the 2025-26 regular season. That is 16 more than the 44 games the previous season, a 36% increase, and a career high. He averaged 23.6 minutes.
Question marks about his physical condition had existed before. He was traded from the Charlotte Hornets to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025. But he failed the physical, and the trade was voided. After returning to Charlotte, he moved to Phoenix in that year's offseason.
Last season, the games Williams started made up 91.7% of his appearances (55 of 60 games). Arizona Sports reporter Dylan Kane projected that the playing time and roles of Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro will grow while Williams is out. There is no confirmation that the team has officially announced a replacement starter.
In its September 11 statement, the Phoenix Suns said only that the timeline would be set later. Dates in the text are U.S. local time unless otherwise indicated.
Frequently asked questions
Q. When will Mark Williams return?
In its September 11 statement, the team said it would set a return timeline later. NBC Sports reported the possibility of an absence of at least 5 months, citing local reporter John Gambadoro.
Q. What are the terms of Mark Williams' contract?
It was reported as a 3-year, $38 million deal with full guarantees, and was made official on July 7, 2026. According to the salary database, his 2026-27 salary is $11,728,395.
Q. Who will fill the Phoenix Suns' void at center?
Arizona Sports reporter Dylan Kane projected that the playing time and roles of Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro will grow. There is no confirmation that the team has officially announced a replacement starter.
Related official sites
- Phoenix Suns official website — the Phoenix Suns' official news page
- NBA Mark Williams official player page — the NBA's official player profile page
Featured image · Stock photo · Not an on-site photo of a current game in the article · Photo: Pexels (Magda Ehlers)
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