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The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly acquired center Mark Williams for a package including their top rookie and their last tradable first-round pick.
The Lakers sent Dalton Knecht, veteran forward Cam Reddish, a 2030 pick swap and an unprotected 2031 first-rounder to the Charlotte Hornets in order to acquire Williams, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
Just In: The Los Angeles Lakers are trading Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap to the Charlotte Hornets for center Mark Williams, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/QGUwETssGd
Williams reacted to the news in a post on X:
Williams, who was limited to 62 games through his first two NBA seasons due to injury, has made just 23 appearances so far this season.
Although Williams has missed three of the Hornets’ last seven games due to left foot injury management, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin the Lakers are “confident in his medicals.”
Williams, who turned 23 in December, has been effective when healthy. After sitting out the first 20 games of the season, he returned to contribute a career-high 15.6 points on 58.6 percent shooting from the field while adding 9.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in 25 minutes per night.
Williams has a $6.2 million club option remaining on his contract and is scheduled to hit restricted free agency in 2026.
The Lakers are likely hoping Williams’ rebounding will help the team replace Anthony Davis, who was traded earlier this week in the blockbuster deal for former Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić.
Adding a seven-foot center alongside Dončić could give the Lakers an elite frontcourt heading into the playoffs, providing Williams is able to stay healthy down the stretch.
In order to acquire a center to deploy alongside Dončić, the Lakers parted ways with a 2024 first-round selection in Knecht, who was averaging 9.4 points and 3.1 rebounds while playing more than 20 minutes per night through 48 games of his rookie season.
Knecht has three more seasons remaining on his rookie deal, including two club options that could take his contract through 2028.
The Lakers also bid farewell to Reddish, who was in his second season with the team. The 25-year-old was averaging 3.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 18 minutes per game as a depth option.
Reddish is playing on an expiring contract and is currently set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
The deal left the Lakers $3.8 million below the second apron of the luxury tax, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
The Lakers also gave up their 2031 first-round pick as part of the trade. The selection was the franchise’s final tradable first-round pick, as noted by Marks.
The Hornets meanwhile own their next first seven first-round picks in addition to four additional first-round selections acquired through trades, according to Marks.
Bobby Marks @BobbyMarks42
The Hornets have nicely built their first-round picks in future years
*⃣Own first in the next 7 years
*⃣Top-14 protected first from Miami (2027, unprotected in 2028)
*⃣Top-2 protected first from Dallas (2027)
*⃣Right to swap firsts with LA Lakers (2030)
*⃣Unprotected first from…
The Lakers have one tradable second-round pick and one roster spot remaining, Charania noted, after sending out Davis and Max Christie earlier this week and parting ways with Knecht and Reddish just before the deadline.
Williams could potentially join the Lakers for a Thursday night game against the Golden State Warriors, while Knecht and Reddish could join the Hornets before Friday’s contest with the San Antonio Spurs.
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