Mark Williams' immediate reaction to shocking Lakers trade
Today at 01:12 AM
The Los Angeles Lakers weren’t done making trades after acquiring Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks. After sending Anthony Davis back to Dallas, the Lakers had a glaring hole on the interior and clearly needed to add some more size to the roster.
They did just that on Wednesday night when they traded Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and draft capital to the Charlotte Hornets for center Mark Williams. Shortly after the trade was announced, Williams took to social media to show his excitement with just a few emojis.
“ ,” Williams posted on X.
Williams wasn’t one of the more common names on the market on the interior, but he is a much more intriguing option than most of the veterans that were seemingly available. Williams is just 23 years old and has been very productive when he has not been out due to injury.
The former Duke star has played in just 22 games this season entering Wednesday but is averaging 16 points, nearly 10 rebounds and more than one block per game in about 25 minutes a night. The 7-footer is a great fit next to Doncic in Los Angeles due to his elite athleticism and ability to be a dynamic roller and a lob threat for the Lakers. Defensively, Williams needs some more polish but has the potential to be a very good rim protector over the course of his career.
Giving up Knecht, who has shown flashes of brilliance on offense this season, plus draft capital is a steep price to pay to make this deal, but Williams is the youngest player in the deal and helps the Lakers both in the present and in the future. If he can stay healthy, he has been one of the most improved players in basketball this season and still has plenty of room to grow with Doncic as the duo looks to lead the Lakers for years to come.
The Lakers could still make more moves before Thursday’s deadline, but they now have an eight-man playoff rotation that JJ Redick can trust. James and Doncic will start alongside Austin Reaves and Williams, with one of Rui Hachimura or Dorian Finney-Smith on the wing. Jaxson Hayes and Gabe Vincent can come off the bench for a roster that not a lot of teams would be excited to play in April and May.
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