Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
The Los Angeles Lakers newest star reportedly had a major say in a trade that ultimately fell through.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported on SportsCenter Monday that Luka Dončić “handpicked” Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams.
“Williams was a guy that Luka Dončić, when the Lakers brought some names to him that they could potentially pursue at center, he signed off on that name, he handpicked it,” McMenamin said. “So after they rescinded the trade, I’m told by my sources, they explained to Luka why they had to do it and he understood it.”
The Lakers initially traded rookie Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2030 pick swap and an unprotected 2031 first-round pick to Charlotte in return for Williams. On Saturday, that trade was rescinded after Williams failed his physical.
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Lakers “needed to feel confident he’d be healthy enough to be their starting center for the next 5-10 years” but didn’t feel he could do so after the physical.
Williams, the 15th overall pick in the 2022 draft, has missed 129 of the Hornets’ 214 games since he joined the team. He played just 43 games as a rookie because of season-ending surgery on a thumb injury. Last year, he appeared in just 19 games due to a back injury.
He has played in 23 of Charlotte’s 50 games so far this year, dealing with foot and back issues throughout the year.
When on the court, Williams has been highly productive. He’s averaging 15.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. It’s easy to see why Los Angeles and Dončić were fixated on the big man, but ultimately it didn’t work out.
After the trade for Williams failed, the Lakers will have to make do with their current roster. Since trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Dončić, Los Angeles has turned to Jaxson Hayes as its primary starting center. The 7-footer is averaging 5.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and a block per game, though his numbers are likely to get better as he gets more minutes.
The Lakers have played well recently, winning 11 of their last 13 games. With two games remaining before the All-Star break, Los Angeles is sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference at 31-19.
The Lakers will look to keep their strong play going once Dončić makes his debut in the coming weeks.
Read the full article here
