The Los Angeles Lakers have made their next move after their shocking acquisition of Luka Doncic earlier this week. The Lakers have traded Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, and future picks for Charlotte Hornets‘ center Mark Williams.
Shams Charania revealed the full trade details, showing the Lakers gave up two future unprotected first-round picks to ensure Williams joins the franchise.
Full Trade Details
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Mark Williams
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Dalton Knecht, 2030 First-Round Pick Swap (LAL), 2031 First-Round Pick (LAL)
This is a pretty big bet on Williams staying healthy. He’s averaging 15.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks this season but has played 85 games over three years in the NBA. He’s had constant injury troubles but it seems like he was getting past them over the last few months.
If Williams can stay healthy, this might be a masterstroke by Rob Pelinka to help the Lakers be genuine contenders now, and over the next 10 years.
Williams has a standing reach of 9’9″, which is absolutely incredible given the fact that Victor Wembanyama has a standing reach of 9’7″. Williams is a gifted interior presence, able to eviscerate shots and grab rebounds with ease. In addition, he’s a mobile big who can run the floor alongside Doncic, helping him replicate the magic he found with Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford in Dallas.
The Lakers are pushing into contention status right now with this trade, as the 24-year-old rookie knecht isn’t a big loss. He was averaging 9.4 points and 3.1 rebounds this season as a streaky 35.8% shooter. While he would’ve been a great spacing option for Luka and LeBron, the Lakers couldn’t have made this trade without using him in this deal.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
