Lakers Trade for Charlotte Hornets Center Mark Williams

On February 6, 2025By Littum

Rob Pelinka, Lakers’ General Manager and frequent goals for the team’s fanbase for passivity in the trading market, sat in front of cameras and told everyone that there was no way to wave a “Magic Wand” and make the right center appear.

For several months, Lakers’ Front Office signaled that there was no center available to fit their price range and list of needs, needs that became only more obvious when Pelinka treated Anthony Davis and Max Christie for Luka Doncic.

And Tuesday, when he was sitting next to Doncic, Pelinka promised to meet this need while praying for patience.

But Wednesday night with the NBA’s trade deadline a little more than half a day away, a center appeared – and there was hardly any magic involved.

Lakers acquired 23-year-old 7-foot Mark Williams from Charlotte Hornets and emptied what was only a little back in their asset arsenal to acquire a talented player with a story of injuries.

To get Williams, a previous choice of the first round, Laker’s Rookie Sent Dalton Knecht, a 2030 first round of pick-swap and their 2031 unprotected first round elections to Hornets. Lakers also included forward CAM Reddish to create a list of space they could fill in the buyout market.

Lakers traded Dalton Knecht above and Cam Reddish to Charlotte together with two draft elections.

According to people who are familiar with the agreement not authorized to speak in public, Lakers took the step after meeting Doncic and talking to him about the kind of center he prefers to play with: an athletic screener and lob threat. Then Lakers came to work on Williams’ medical history because he has been limited to 84 games since he was 15^Th Select in the 2022 draft.

Williams missed significant time with foot, ankle and back injuries, the latter kept him out for most of last season. According to people who are familiar with the transaction, Lakers is satisfied that the back problems are no longer a problem and the other injuries have been more unflaking than anything else.

So Pelinka, who was once criticized for not acting Lakers’ future choice of first round, used the two available to him for a period of five days to add a perennial 25-year-old All-NBA player in Doncic and a 23- year -old center in Williams, giving Lakers and 40 -year -old LeBron James a credible shot at title competition.

Williams has bloomed at the offensive end since moving into the starting lineup on December 13, an average of 17.4 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks while shooting 59.7% from the field and 77.4% from the free-casting line.

Last Saturday against Denver and Nikola Jokic, Williams scored 20 points and had 15 rebounds, including six offensive.

After trading Davis, Lakers now has Williams, Jaxson Hayes and small ball arrangements with Jarred Vanderbilt and Dorian Finney-Smith to navigate a Western conference that includes players like Jokic, Alperen Sengun and Jaren Jackson Jr.

To get Williams, Lakers treated their last available first round election-2031. They have 1-4 protection on 2027 first round, they treated to Utah, although their recent trades are designed to keep them out of the lottery and vault them to strife.

In Knecht, Lakers sends their first round, which just came through a terrible shooting fall to score in double in six of their last nine games. While having great faith in Knecht’s offensive abilities, the defensive matches were significant enough to limit his ability to potentially contribute in the spring.

The NBA trading deadline is Thursday at noon, Lakers left with minimal options for another deal. The last remaining draft elections they have to act is their second round elections this year.

Lakers plays Golden State Warriors, who just treated Miami tip Jimmy Butler, Thursday in Los Angeles.