The Los Angeles Lakers team composition has undergone significant changes since their recent victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday.
Shortly after that win, the Lakers executed a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks, acquiring Luka Doncic in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a first-round pick. The Utah Jazz were involved in this deal, receiving draft picks and Jalen Hood-Schifino.
On Wednesday, the Lakers made another move, securing Charlotte Hornets’ center Mark Williams by trading away Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 first-round pick, and a 2030 pick swap.
Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ general manager and vice president of basketball operations, has been active in reshaping the team for what he hopes will be a successful playoff push. With the NBA trade deadline looming at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, the focus turns to which players the Lakers might still move.
Here are the realistic options the Lakers could move before the deadline:
- Maxi Kleber ($11M + one more season)
- Christian Wood ($3M expiring) Shake Milton
- ($2.9M w/ non-guarantee past this season)
Lakers reporter Jovan Buha from The Athletic provided insight into this. The Lakers still have first-round picks available in 2026 and 2028, plus a second-round pick in 2025 which could be utilized in further trades. Buha also noted that while Gabe Vincent and Rui Hachimura could potentially be traded, there’s an indication that they might stay put.
“They could technically still move Rui Hachimura or Gabe Vincent, but my understanding is they want to preserve the core of the rotation as much as possible. Neither player could likely net them much, anyway, with limited draft capital remaining,” Buha wrote.
In a very short span, the Los Angeles Lakers have moved Christie, Davis, Hood-Schifino, Knecht, and Reddish, along with two first-round picks and a pick swap. With the trade deadline approaching, the question remains whether more transactions are on the horizon for LA. The clock is ticking, and with each deal, the Lakers’ trade assets are diminishing.
Lakers trade grade for Mark Williams deal
The Los Angeles Lakers have been extremely busy as the NBA trade deadline approached. On Thursday, they completed their third trade of the season by bringing in center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets, trading away Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, their 2031 first-round pick, and a 2030 pick swap.
The Lakers started their trading spree back in December by sending D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. Then, over the weekend, they pulled off a massive trade, acquiring Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and their 2029 first-round pick.
The Doncic trade left some significant gaps in the Lakers’ lineup, particularly at the center position. Now, it seems they’ve found their solution with Mark Williams.
When Mark Williams will debut for the Lakers is still up in the air, but here’s an initial assessment of the trade:
The most glaring need for the Lakers after losing Anthony Davis was a starting center. Jaxson Hayes has filled in admirably, especially in the Lakers’ 122-97 victory in their first game post-Doncic trade, but he’s not cut out to be a permanent starter.
Right after the Doncic-Davis trade, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka indicated that another big move before the deadline was unlikely, suggesting any major acquisition for a center would probably happen in the offseason.
However, the Lakers managed to secure a starting caliber center in Williams. Selected as the 15th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Hornets, Williams is in his third year in the league and is only 23 years old.
There were concerns about a foot injury that kept him out for the early part of the season, but according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, the Lakers are not worried about this issue moving forward.
