NBA rumors: Lakers dismiss Mark Williams' vast injury concerns with trade
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The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired their center, as the team completed a trade for Mark Williams with the Charlotte Hornets, sending a package that includes Dalton Knecht and their 2031 first-round pick the other way. Williams has a lengthy injury history, but the Lakers are not concerned with that, believing he will be healthy moving forward. Earlier, Williams missed time with a fracture in his foot, but that did not require surgery.
“Mark Williams has missed some time in his early career from a small fracture in his left foot, sources said, however LAL is confident in his medicals,” Dave McMenamin of ESPN reports. “Williams’ injury never required surgery, sources told ESPN.”
The Lakers are relying on their medicals being accurate. After trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in the blockbuster deal that brought in Luka Doncic, the Lakers had a huge need in the frontcourt. That need already existed, but the departure of Davis made it even more pressing. Williams addresses that need, but the health on paper is a concern. In addition to the fractured foot, Williams has had back issues early on in his career. The Lakers are also confident that those are in the past, and that Williams is a player that fits well with Doncic.
“Lakers, per sources, confident that Mark Williams’ back issues from a year ago are healed and that they’re getting one of the game’s top young centers who fit the Doncic archetype,” Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times reports.
Williams is just 23 years old, and is a young player the Lakers can mold as they build with this new vision around Doncic and LeBron James. Williams’ career high in games played is 43, which was his rookie season in 2022-23, according to Basketball Reference. He has since played 19 games in 2023-24, and has played in 23 games so far this season. It will be interesting to see how he fits into the Lakers’ new group.
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