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The Los Angeles Lakers are set to acquire starting center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, an unprotected 2031 first-round pick, and a pick swap in 2030, first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.
Williams, 23, has not only been one of the league's most improved frontcourt talents, but he's been one of the league's most improved players this season. In a total of 22 games, the former 15th overall pick has averaged 16.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 59.7 percent from the floor.
While he comes at a steep price, Williams is a complete game-changer for the Lakers due to his rim-running abilities and effectiveness as a pick-and-roll center. Next to Luka Doncic and LeBron James, the sky's the limit for what Williams will be able to achieve in Hollywood.
After trading Anthony Davis for Doncic in a deal that sent the league into a frenzy, Rob Pelinka and the Lakers' front office immediately began their search for an athletic and versatile big man that could really thrive in pick-and-roll sets next to Jaxson Hayes in the frontcourt.
Mark Williams' impact to Lakers' title chances
One of the main goals the Lakers had was to do so without disrupting their core group of Austin Reaves, Rui hachimura, and Dorian Finney-Smith. This goal was achieved by sacrificing future value for Williams, a young center that instantly improves Los Angeles' chances of contending for a title right now.
The only concern with Williams is his availability.
Over his first three seasons in the league, Williams has missed 127 total games, which equates to about 60 percent of Charlotte's total games since he was drafted in 2022. Williams dealt with major back problems during the 2023-24 season, resulting in him only playing in 19 games. This season, the young center has played in 23 games for the Hornets, missing chunks of time due to a foot injury he has been dealing with since the start of the year.
Whether or not Williams can remain healthy will have a great impact on the Lakers' overall chances of finding success without Davis leading their frontcourt.
For the Hornets, this trade opens the door for more questions about the direction of the franchise.
Although new general manager Jeff Peterson has done a great job of acquiring future draft picks,taking a page out of his mentor Sam Presti's book with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Hornets' long rebuilding process appears to have become longer.
Outside of star point guard LaMelo Ball and 2023 second-overall pick Brandon Miller, the Hornets don't appear to have a clear vision for immediate success. The addition of Knecht brings a proven perimeter scoring weapon to Charlotte who will be an essential part of their rebuilding efforts.
The Hornets own all of their first-round picks over the next seven years, and they have acquired additional first-round picks from the Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, and Lakers in recent trades, according to Bobby Marks of ESPN.
After this season, Williams will be entering the final year of his rookie contract. He will become extension-eligible over the summer, when Los Angeles will undoubtedly look to lock him up on a new, long-term deal.
The Lakers are currently 29-19 overall this season. Los Angeles has their eyes set on being true title threats after acquiring Doncic and Williams at the trade deadline.
