NBA Trades: Building off the blockbuster move for Luka Doncic, the Los Angeles Lakers land an incredibly talented center from the Charlotte Hornets.
If you thought the Los Angeles Lakers were going to waste the final few days before the NBA Trade Deadline after the blockbuster move for Luka Doncic, you'd be sorely mistaken. For all the faults of the Lakers' front office, you can't blame the effort they make to uniquely improve their roster. After the move for Luka, that's exactly what the Lakers accomplished in a second big trade before the deadline.
On the eve of the trade deadline, the Lakers agreed to trade Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, their 2031 unprotected first-round pick, and a 2030 pick swap to the Charlotte Hornets for rising star big man Mark Williams.
After acquiring Luka while trading Anthony Davis in the process, the Lakers desperately needed to add a center ahead of the trade deadline. While there were certainly other names linked to the Lakers in recent weeks, Williams was not expected to be on the market. However, as is the case for many across the league, every player does have a price. It may have taken a bold offer but the Lakers clearly feel strongly about Williams' fit next to LeBron and Luka.
The move for Mark Williams is a risky decision from the Lakers
In theory, Williams is a strong young big the Lakers should feel good about moving forward. However, he has dealt with back injuries through the early portion of his career and while he has shown some flashes of brilliance, Williams has been pretty unreliable through the first three years of his career. All that said, Williams' ceiling was too good for the Lakers to pass up.
Averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds on 59 percent shooting from the field, Williams could emerge as a huge weapoin for the Lakers in the frontcourt. As a budding star at the center position, the Lakers may have made a move that could truly spark this team heading into the stretch run.
Since the start of the season, the Lakers have added Dorian Finney-Smith, Luka Doncic, and Mark Williams. This is a team that has certainly taken some huge risks to not only improve their roster but also put them in a better position to compete for a championship moving forward. How it will all pay off remains to be seen, but the front office has successfully retooled the roster around LeBron James over the last couple of months.