As if this year’s NBA trade deadline wasn’t crazy enough, the Los Angeles Lakers — who had already shocked the world by trading for Luka Dončić — made another big splash by making an aggressive move for Mark Williams, the center out of Charlotte, who has dramatically improved this season.
After including Anthony Davis in the aforementioned Dončić trade, the Lakers needed size. Nikola Vučević and Myles Turner were two candidates discussed ad nauseum by the fan base. Instead, the Lakers went for Williams, relinquishing Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 first-round selection — which is unprotected — and finally a 2030 pick swap to the Hornets.
Let’s grade the trade:
Los Angeles Lakers: A+
It’s a costly acquisition, but one that makes sense on several levels.
Williams, 23, is averaging 15.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in his third season. If those numbers look pedestrian to you, here’s the kicker: He’s doing it in just 25 minutes per night.
Williams is also a high-quality defender. His enormous 7-foot-2 frame, and near 7-7 wingspan, allows him to challenge shots near the rim, and deter players from relentlessly driving toward him.
Offensively, those measurements also helps Williams have a wide catch radius on lobs, which would fit beautifully with an elite lob passer, who can get into the paint, collapse the defense, and make elite reads off the defensive movements.
That description sounds eerily similar to that of a certain Slovenian.
The Lakers did pay a huge price for Williams here, and Williams has dealt with injuries, but the upside and theoretical fit with Dončić and LeBron James is off the charts.
Furthermore, the Lakers invested in their future. That may sound off when they just traded away Knecht and draft equity, but Williams is on a similar timeline as Dončić, and presents a solution to a bigger need than Knecht does.
This is a strong get from the Lakers, so for the second time this trade deadline week, they deserve a thorough A+.
Charlotte Hornets: B
The Hornets rightfully squeezed the Lakers for all they could get for Williams, walking away with a young and effective wing scorer in Knecht, and significant draft options down the line. For a franchise that has struggled this year and realized its need to build for the future, Charlotte has done well in making a strong pivot.
Knecht can play alongside both LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, to the point where the trio should be responsible for the vast majority of the scoring next season.
The Hornets do have a major need at center now, but they shouldn’t be in a rush. The team is going nowhere this season, and finding a center will thus become a summer assignment. The Hornets can move off picks if they wish, or see if they can find a young player in the draft who will fit in as the long-term replacement for Williams.
The very fact that Charlotte isn’t in a rush is a major asset to them, both here at the deadline and moving into the offseason. The Hornets can take their time in getting things right, identify the right players to target, and have enough ammunition in terms of trade assets to pull the trigger on a deal that makes sense.
That said, they did still give up the best player in the deal, and one who was breaking out for them at the age of just 23. While the return for Williams’ current production was solid, there is a world where he develops into a two-way All-Star, in which case you have to wonder if they end up regretting saying yes to this.
The Hornets will end up with a fluid grade of B, based entirely off of this season. It’ll be interesting to revisit this one in about two years.
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