The Los Angeles Lakers acquired Center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets early Thursday morning in exchange for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap. Williams will provide the Los Angeles Lakers with some much-needed size after they traded away Anthony Davis a few days ago.
Los Angeles needed interior size and rebounding, and Williams will provide them with that. Williams missed the first 20 games of the 2024-25 regular season with a left foot tendon strain. He has remained healthy since and played well. He is averaging 15.6 points per game, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks this season. If he had enough games to qualify, he would be in the top 20 in rebounds and blocks. How will Williams fit in with the Los Angeles Lakers?
Los Angeles Lakers Season Outlook
Just In: The Los Angeles Lakers are trading Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap to the Charlotte Hornets for center Mark Williams, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/QGUwETssGd
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 6, 2025
The way the Los Angeles Lakers improved their roster over the last few days will be studied for years to come. It began with the shocking acquisition of perennial All-NBA performer Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks. Even though Los Angeles lost Davis in the transaction, Doncic is the far better player.
Williams joins a Lakers starting rotation which includes Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and LeBron James. Williams will be a great lob partner for James and Doncic and is one of the best interior defenders in the National Basketball Association.
Final Thoughts
Williams is the type of player the Los Angeles Lakers needed as they prepare for a sprint in the final 30 games of the regular season. The issue for the big man has been injuries. He has missed nearly 60% of the possible games in his NBA career. Williams will need to remain healthy for the team to reach its full potential.
It is unclear when the fully assembled Los Angeles Lakers will take the court together. Doncic has a chance to return to the court when the Lakers host the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. Los Angeles returns to the court tonight against another team that also overhauled its roster at the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline. The Golden State Warriors acquired superstar Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat late last night. Los Angeles has set itself up well to be a force in the Western Conference.
