It’s been no secret that the Lakers were in the market for a center. It was just a matter of when and who. Late Wednesday night, we finally got our answer, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Hornets have traded Mark Williams to the Lakers for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap.
Williams is 7-foot-2, 240 pounds and was selected by the Hornets with the 15th overall pick in the 2022 draft. He possesses a 7-foot-6 wingspan and has shown agility to defend on the perimeter.
Unfortunately, he’s only played a total of 84 games in 2.5 seasons due to ankle, thumb and back injuries, so there’s obvious risk. That said, he’s only 23 years old, and since getting ramped up to over 25 minutes 15 games ago, has averaged 18.7 points, 11.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.4 blocks in 29.8 minutes.
Williams is going to provide girth and length to protect the rim on defense and be an excellent lob threat for both Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
DK Sportsbook now has the Lakers at +750 to win the Western Conference, the third-lowest odds. Los Angeles is +1500 to win it all, the sixth-lowest odds.
For Charlotte, they get a 3-and-D player with length in Cam Reddish and the first-round selection of the Lakers from last season, Dalton Knecht.
Knecht has good size at 6-foot-6, 215 pounds and is a professional getter of buckets. He has some issues on defense, but he can make it rain from downtown while possessing the athleticism to finish strong at the basket. There’s a good chance he enters the starting lineup immediately, as the Hornets are 12-36 on the season, 14th in the Eastern Conference. The presence of Knecht would likely send Nick Smith Jr. to a reserve role. Smith had started the last 10 games.
With Williams gone and the Hornets having shipped off Nick Richards to the Phoenix Suns earlier in the year, Moussa Diabate should see a significant uptick in playing time. He’s been excellent on the glass, setting screens and hustling, which have obviously endeared him to the front office, coaching staff and fans.
