The Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets trade deadline deal really didn’t happen. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Lakers rescinded their trade for Mark Williams because the 7-footer failed his physical.
It was originally thought that Williams would make his debut for the Lakers against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday afternoon. However, as late as an hour and a half before tipoff, Williams was listed as questionable.
Ultimately, Williams was declared out because the trade remained pending. Still, Lakers coach JJ Redick didn’t expect the trade to fall through, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Luka Dončić hasn’t been cleared to return yet, and LeBron James (ankle) also sat out the Lakers 124-117 victory over the Pacers.
“I don’t know why we wouldn’t,” Redick told reporters yesterday when asked if the Lakers would have all their guys Monday.
Nullification of Mark Williams Trade Surprises JJ Redick, What’s Next For The Lakers?
LA, needing a center after trading Anthony Davis, turned to the often-injured Williams. The Lakers sent Dalton Knecht, Cam Redish, and their 2031 first-round pick to Charlotte in the trade.
Williams is a talented big who was expected to anchor the Lakers for years. However, injuries plagued the 23-year-old throughout his rookie contract. Williams didn’t make his 2024 season debut until December, and he has only played in 23 games this season and 84 out of a possible 221 contests (40.1%).
Knowing this, why did the Lakers make the trade, and could they rework it? The answer to the first question is that the Lakers Vice President and General Manager Rob Pelinka were confident in Williams’ medicals.
“We fully vetted his health stuff, led by Dr. Kris Jones at UCLA Health and Dr. Leroy Sims on our team, and he’s had no surgeries,” Pelinka said. “So these are just parts of, he’s still growing into his body. We vetted his injuries, and we’re not concerned about those.
For the second question, no, Los Angeles and Charlotte couldn’t amend the trade, as the NBA trade deadline is just that. Bobby Marks of ESPN said that although the news of Williams heading to Los Angeles broke on February 5, the teams didn’t notify the league office until Thursday morning. Therefore, the teams had to complete their physicals before the deadline.
“There is always a risk of making a trade the day before or on deadline day, Marks tweeted. “Once the 3 p.m. (ET) passes on Thursday, [teams] only have two choices: Approve the trade or rescind the trade.
Who Will Now Start At Center After Lakers Rescind Trade?
With the victory over Indiana, LA improved to 31-19. The Lakers sit in fourth place in the West, having won five straight and 11 of their last 14.
Despite playing their best basketball of the season, the Lakers do have some things to figure out. Who is going to play center?
As it stands now, Jaxon Hayes projects to remain the Lakers’ starting center at least for the remaining two games before the all-star break. The Lakers host Utah on Monday and then travel to Salt Lake on Wednesday.
Since joining the Lakers before the 2023-24 campaign, Hayes has been very efficient. However, the Lakers have always seen the 24-year-old as a high-energy rebounder and rim protector who would see occasional minutes behind Davis. But he has played well since moving into the starting lineup for the past five games.
Hayes is averaging 7.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.6 boards while shooting 64.1% from the field over 26 minutes in eight starts. He has produced one double-double and grabbed at least 10 boards three times in these eight contests, scoring at least 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds twice. The Lakers have a 19-10 record in games that Hayes has played this season, including 7-1 contests the 7-footer has started.
What Is Next for The Lakers?
It is possible that Jarred Vanderbilt, who has appeared in just seven games this season, will eventually move with the first unit at center. Vanderbilt has played well since his return, compiling 3.6 points, 6.7 boards (2.4 offensive), 1.4 assists, and 1.6 steals in 16.3 minutes. He has experience playing the five but is better suited to play power forward.
James and Rui Hachimura could also see increased time at center. Meanwhile, Maxi Kleber is likely out for the remainder of the regular season, and there is no timetable for Christian Wood to make his season debut. Markieff Morris, Trey Jemison, and Christian Koloko are also options.
Pelinka may scan the buyout market for another center. The Lakers likely won’t find a starter in the open market, but they have options.
Los Angeles has a full 15-man roster, so any move the Lakers make requires a corresponding move. The good news for the Lakers is that they are $1.63 million from being hard-capped. Therefore, the Lakers have plenty of room to absorb a pro-rated minimum veteran salary.
Morris, who tallied three points and one rebound over six minutes in his Lakers debut, appears to be the most likely Laker to be “bought out” if the Lakers choose to go that way. Redish and Wood also would seem to be options. All three players will be unrestricted free agents this summer.
Who Could The Lakers Go After on the Open Market?
A few centers on the open market could entice the Lakers. Daniel Theis, Bismack Biyombo, Mo Bamba, and JaVale McGee immediately came to CBS Sports Sam Quinn’s mind when thinking about options. However, according to the Greek outlet SDNA, Theis may sign with AS Monaco. Also, McVale is currently playing in Puerto Rico, though he may return to the NBA if the Lakers come calling.
Los Angeles could also wait to see who gets “bought out.” One player who doesn’t appear to be an option is Alex Len. The former Sacramento Kings center is expected to sign a deal with Indiana after clearing waivers following Washington’s release. Cody Zeller was waived after being acquired by Houston, though the 32-year-old hasn’t played all season long.
The Lakers will be limited in the players they can pursue on the “buyout market.” Fred Katz of The Athletic tweeted, “Since the [Lakers] are above the first apron, they cannot sign any buyout players who were previously making more than the midlevel exception.”
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