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Alder Almo - Philstar.com
February 6, 2025 | 3:37pm
In this January 27, 2025 file photo, Anthony Davis, then of the Los Angeles Lakers, drives to the basket against Mark Williams of the Charlotte Hornets during the first half of an NBA game at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. After losing Davis to acquire Luka Doncic, the Lakers have quickly moved to fill the big void in the middle by trading for the 7-foot Williams, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images / AFP
NEW YORK – The Los Angeles Lakers have gone all-in this season.
After losing Anthony Davis to acquire Luka Doncic, the Lakers have quickly moved to fill the big void in the middle by trading for Charlotte Hornets’ 7-foot center Mark Williams, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday (Friday Manila time).
The Lakers are sending rookie Dalton Knecht, their 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap in the deal that bagged them one of the most promising big men in the league.
Williams is in the midst of a breakout season, averaging a career-best 15.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.
The Lakers are hoping he will continue to thrive, if not play better next to Doncic and LeBron James, two of the best passers in the game.
Lakers vice president and general manager Rob Pelinka targeted Williams as he fits the profile of the mobile, vertical lob threat center that Doncic had success with in Dallas.
However, the trade comes with a major risk.
Williams has not played more than 43 games since entering the league as the 15th overall pick in 2022. He missed the beginning of the season with a small fracture in his left foot, which did not require surgery. He’s only appeared in 22 of the Hornets’ 48 games this season before getting traded.
The Lakers have essentially emptied their barrel with this trade.
Their remaining draft assets are their 2027 first-round pick if it falls 1-4 (goes to Utah if it falls 5-30), their 2025 second-round pick and two pick swaps (2026 and 2028).
The Lakers are confident Williams will be worth the hefty price they paid.
The Doncic-James pairing has made the oddsmakers at Bovada, one of the best offshore sportsbooks, bullish about the Lakers’ title chances this season. They have jumped to the third-best championship odds at +1100 behind only the defending champion Boston Celtics, who are tied with league leader Oklahoma City Thunder at +250 and Cleveland Cavaliers (+750).
Their projected starting lineup after the trade is Austin Reaves and Doncic at the backcourt, James and Rui Hachimura at the wings and Williams at center.
Gabe Vincent, Dorian Finney-Smith, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jaxson Hayes comprise their bench.
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Alder Almo is a former senior sportswriter for Philstar.com and NBA.com Philippines. He is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey, and writes for US-based publication Heavy.com.
