The Los Angeles Lakers are a city of stars, and they take care of their stars.
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Generation after generation, the Lakers' front office does what it can to ensure that their superstars have all the tools they need to win a championship, and they are wasting no time doing that with their newest superstar, Luka Dončić.
According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, the Lakers met with the five-time All-NBA player, who played a huge factor in the team's decision to add a big man, specifically L.A.'s newest center, Mark Williams.
"After huddling with Luka Doncic after the trade, he impressed upon Lakers' brass his desire to play with a lob threat, mobile big whose vertical spacing gives Doncic another option when making his reads, sources told ESPN."
After huddling with Luka Doncic after the trade, he impressed upon Lakers’ brass his desire to play with a lob threat, mobile big whose vertical spacing gives Doncic another option when making his reads, sources told ESPN.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 6, 2025It didn't take long for the Lakers to pivot towards it being Dončić's team, and rightfully so.
Although LeBron James has and will continue to play a vital role for the team moving forward, it is clear that the Lakers' main priority is Dončić.
The Lakers' blockbuster trade for Dončić came on Saturday night, but on Wednesday night, they shook up the NBA world again as they added Williams from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick, and a 2030 pick swap on Wednesday, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
Williams is a player that Dončić wanted and that the Lakers needed.
Even before the Dončić trade, the Lakers needed a big man. After that, they desperately needed one as they lost their superstar center, Anthony Davis, in the process.
The addition of Williams was essential to the team, and Rob Pelinka realized that and struck while the iron was hot.
Williams, 23, is a solid player and will be a massive upgrade for L.A. at the center spot after the departure of Davis. He is averaging 15.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 58.6 percent from the field this season.
While the addition of Williams is huge, there are some durability issues, as he's played in only 85 of a possible 213 games since entering the league in 2022.
Nonetheless, the Lakers are confident that those days are behind them and that Williams can be a key player this season and beyond.
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