Lakers confident they found the ‘perfect’ center in Mark Williams

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Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams celebrates after a dunk against the Utah Jazz on Jan. 15. Williams was traded to the Lakers on Wednesday. (Rob Gray / Associated Press)

The Lakers have long wrestled with a problem complicated by competing interests. On one hand, they have a star in LeBron James, who is creeping closer toward retirement. On the other, they have a future to worry about, one where James is gone and they would need to navigate a rebuild.

But at this year’s NBA trade deadline, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said the moment and the circumstances were right for the Lakers to take their swings. They traded away their two best remaining draft picks, a future Hall of Famer and their two best young guards in a series of deals that netted them Luka Doncic and Mark Williams.

Read more: Hernández: Trade deadline deals transform Lakers from sideshow to NBA title contenders

“I think we’ve said all along we were willing to use our picks if the right opportunity came,” Pelinka said Thursday. “And I think we feel like we have two top five, top-10 players in the world on our team right now. And just saw this as an opportunity to give those two players all the resources they need to make a playoff run.”

James is energized by the prospect of playing with Doncic, who likely will debut Monday.

“I can’t wait. Everything I do on the floor, he just has the ability to do it, or even do it better. That’s how great he is,” James said. “Even at his young age of 25, he’s such a unique player, special player, generational talent. So I’ll be super appreciative to be able to share the floor with him and then watch him do his thing. So it’ll be good.”

In Williams, the Lakers found a center the team believes caters to the style that Doncic told Pelinka he likes to play.

Read more: LeBron James defies his age again, scoring 42 in Lakers’ win over Warriors

“It wasn’t like, ‘Go get this.’ That was not the spirit of the discussions. More like ‘Stylistically, some of the bigs I had in Dallas were really effective, sort of to how I play and how I make my reads.’ And I said, ‘Hey, I’ll do my best for the deadline to…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/lakers-confident-found-perfect-center-084632888.html

Author : LA Times

Publish date : 2025-02-07 08:46:00

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