“Trading Knecht before Bronny” – Internet shocked as Lakers solve missing puzzle by losing fan-favorite

The Lakers traded Dalton Knecht and assets for Hornets center Mark Williams to pair up the young Big with Luka Doncic.

“Trading Knecht before Bronny” – Internet shocked as Lakers solve missing puzzle by losing fan-favorite

Lakers add Mark Williams to roster to pair up with Luka Doncic

The Los Angeles Lakers midseason trade deadline may have completely overhauled the outlook of their roster. Just days after pulling off the blockbuster move of acquiring Luka Doncic in exchange for Anthony Davis, the Lakers are pulling the trigger on another massive trade. They sent Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and draft assets to the Charlotte Hornets for 23-year-old center Mark Williams.

Ever since the Lakers lost Davis in their pursuit of Doncic, the team’s front office, led by Rob Pelinka, had decided to drive hard to add an athletic big man to their roster. The Lakeshow will finally get their wish now. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Lakers will be acquiring the Hornets’ 7’2″ big man while giving up their youth brigade led by Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish.

YouTube video

The Lakers will also surrender a 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap with the Hornets in the trade. As for the active players involved in the trade itself, LA may have finally found the piece they were looking for next to Luka Doncic. In the 23 games he has been available this season, Mark Williams has gone from strength to strength, averaging 15.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

FS Video

With a standing reach of nearly 9’9″, Williams is one of the biggest vertical threats in the league. Despite not having Anthony Davis’s two-way threat, Williams adds vertical spacing and paint defense. With a frontcourt led by Williams and Jaxson Hayes, Doncic will have more than enough toys to play with once he returns.

RELATED
Fans go wild as Michael Jordan’s son Marcus gets arrested for cocaine possession: “Meanwhile Bronny in the league”
Marcus Jordan arrest

Lakers fans mourn the loss of Dalton Knecht while praising Mark Williams trade

The Lakers have had shaky moments with the younger stars on their roster over the last few seasons. One of the brightest spots for the team was their decision to land sharpshooter, Dalton Knecht, in the NBA Draft this year. However, with Knecht headed to Charlotte for Mark Williams, fans mourned the loss of the young star, especially with the highly criticized Bronny James still on the roster.

The Lakers team, led by HC JJ Redick, will certainly miss the services of their sharpshooting rookie. However, the addition of Mark Williams is a major move to aid the team. Luka Doncic has already shown his affinity towards playing with big men. He thrived alongside vertical spacing threats like Derreck Lively II and Daniel Gafford.

RELATED
“Acting like it’s Kobe” – Luka Doncic trade causing Dallas Mavericks to refund fans for canceled tickets causes consternation on NBA Twitter
Luka Doncic

Williams adds another target in the Lakers frontcourt that Doncic will be able to play with. With the addition of a formidable big like Williams, who is only 23 years old, the Rob Pelinka-led front office has done more than enough to bolster the defensive side. After all, the departure of a shot-blocking threat like Anthony Davis is not something easy to replace.