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By acquiring center Mark Williams, left, and All-Star guard Luka Doncic before the NBA trade deadline, the Lakers made it very clear they are in win-now mode. (Chris Carlson / Associated Press; Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
They spent the last four years feeling as if they were stuck in rush-hour traffic. Now, the Lakers are racing down an open road.
Toward relevance.
Toward contention.
Toward a potential 18th championship.
Everything changed for the Lakers in the five days leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline, as they evolved from a high-profile sideshow into a legitimate threat.
Not content with simply landing LeBron James’ successor in Luka Doncic, the Lakers moved to maximize the time in which the tenures of the two generational superstars will overlap.
They addressed their opening created by the departure of center Anthony Davis, completing a trade with the Charlotte Hornets for 7-footer Mark Williams.
Read more: Lakers trade for center Mark Williams, deal Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and draft picks
Williams is 23, but this is as much about the present as it is about the future.
This is a win-now move, general manager Rob Pelinka investing most of what remained of their trade capital into the deal for Williams, who averaged 17.4 points and 10.7 rebound after moving into the Hornets’ starting lineup in mid-December.
Not since they traded for Anthony Davis before their most recent championship season have the Lakers inspired as much optimism. Not since Guggenheim Baseball Management purchased the Dodgers has a Los Angeles franchise transformed as dramatically.
The Lakers have done right by their fans, and they have done right by James.
Just a couple of nights ago, I asked James if he was concerned the Lakers could further prioritize the future over the present.
“If I had concerns,” James said, “I would’ve waived my no-trade clause and got up out of here.”
He was right.
Williams cost the Lakers their most recent first-round draft choice in Dalton Knecht, as well as a first-round pick swap in 2030 and an unprotected first-round selection in 2031.
This was a high-risk, high-reward maneuver by…
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Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2025-02-06 23:12:00
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