Lakers-Hornets Trade Characters: Mark Williams on the way to the west to strengthen Frontcourt in LA

Earlier this week, Los Angeles Laker’s General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka recognized after trading Anthony Davis for Luka Dončić that the big man market was “dry.” Well, I assume that Lakers has found some moisture in this supposedly barren country.

Lakers sends Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a first round pick and a first round swap to Charlotte Hornets for Big Man Mark Williams, team sources confirmed to Athletic’s Jovan Buha.

ESPN should first report the agreement and there may be a few reactions from some casual fans. Who is Mark Williams? Isn’t that much for a center I’ve never heard of before?

Fair question! Do you know what to do? You are right. Let’s grab our red pen and knock down some qualities.

Lakers acquiring Mark Williams

On the surface, this may seem like a wild overpayment for Williams. The third-year center has played on only 85 games-43 as a rookie, 19 last season and 23 this season. It’s not the type of availability you’re looking for to replace Anthony Davis. Lakers gives up a promising rookie in Knecht with a really good exterior shot. They also give up a 2030 pick swap with Hornets, which will only return to the Bite Los Angeles if it is worse than Charlotte in 2030. Throw an unprotected election in the first round of 2031, and that is a lot of draft capital for an untested Great man who has not played much in the NBA.

Once he has played this season, however, Williams has been great. He average 15.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks per Match. He makes almost 60 percent of his shots and he is at 78 percent from the free-casting line, so he is not just a big man you can hack and essentially take out of the game. With some actual structures and decent teammates around him, he had to be a solid defensive anchor to protect the edge. He is also a perfect pick-and-roll great man for either LeBron James or Dončić because he is as good around the edge as a vertical lob threat. Williams manufactures 74 percent of his shots within 3 meters of the edge.

Williams is a legitimate 7 feet tall and he is a good screen set. This feels like another situation where teams didn’t know a player was available and Pelinka was able to beat with a good enough offer. No one knew Dončić could have been and Lakers ended up with him. Williams weren’t really out there in a lot of tradingback and Lakers got him with an aggressive offer. They have to make sure he is healthy ahead, but Williams can quickly fit in with everything they do by offense. Organizing the defense may be tough on the go, but this is still more of a acquisition for the future.

Williams has another year back on his rookie deal and he will be obliged before next season. Lakers could go in limited free agency with Williams in 2026 and maintain some Cap flexibility to add the group before he had to pay him big money (if his acting brings it). This keeps the Lakers program list moving forward flexible with financial consequences. Yes, this can be a bit of a too much payer and risk of Williams, but it is a good risk. Plus, they underpaid seriously for Dončić. It promotes.

Character: A-

Hornets acquires Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, 2030 First Round Pick Swap and 2031 First Round Pick

I love this deal for hornets. They have spent most of this season establishing a new culture that has not been there. It is not only Coach Charles Lee who tries to find out how to reveal the demons of this organization. The front office and ownership are trying to find out where their list is on the way. They already moved Nick Richards and now they have decided to beat Williams. It’s not a bad decision when you get so much in return.

Knecht started the season super hot from 3-point range and tipped shortly after. But we know he is a unique shooting game in the long run, which he showed in college. He becomes a good opportunity to spread the floor to guys like Lamelo Ball and Brandon Miller. Unfortunately, Miller is out in the season, but Knecht is a light plug-and-play opportunity to gain some experience for the rest of this lost season for Charlotte. Hornets get a chance to see what he can do without the pressure of winning hanging over his head.

Reddish continues to jump around the league and he may not be long after this list. He once had great potential, and now he may just be a minimum sale wing looking for a home and stability. The elections probably decide down the road where good this trade ends up for hornets. They play that lakers in five and/or six years will have had some difficult times. It is possible if they cannot put a good team around Dončić and LeBron eventually retire before they turn 45 or 46 years old. If Pick -Swap works to Hornets, great. But this is more about the unprotected 2031 first round.

This choice does not have to end up being a top choice for it to be valuable. It can be used in the draft or as a trade chip. Hornets has stored the choice of the first round in the last two deadlines, and although they do not have a thunderstorm of future choices, they have about 10 first round (including their own) to play with over the next few years. This is the type of movement that good organizations do to maximize their draft capital and build against the future.

Character: A.

(Photo by Mark Williams: Jacob Kupferman / Getty Images)