After they pulled off one of the most shocking NBA trades in history, the Los Angeles Lakers have a continuing mission: to build a team capable of capturing the franchise’s record 18th championship, but around the talents of guard Luka Doncic instead of aging superstar LeBron James. The 40-year-old James continues to tease retirement — and at 25 years old, most around the NBA believe that Doncic‘s best days are still ahead of him.
With Doncic seemingly in Los Angeles for the long haul, general manager Rob Pelinka is tasked with putting vertical lob threats and versatile defenders around the Slovenian in order to give him the space to operate at maximum strength. Doncic is a lethal passer and scorer, but LA missed the opportunity to bring him an alley-oop specialist before the NBA’s trade deadline passed.
Could the Lakers try again on Mark Williams?
On Feb. 6, the Lakers and the Charlotte Hornets reached an agreement on a trade that would have seen center Mark Williams head to Los Angeles in exchange for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a first-round pick, and a pick swap. But two days later, the trade fell apart amid reports that Williams had failed his physical — leaving the three players in limbo, and Doncic without the big man he had told Pelinka he wanted to play with.
According to NBA rules, Williams has to return to Charlotte, a lottery-bound team in the throes of a lengthy rebuild. Williams is contracted to the Hornets through next season, and then the 23-year-old can become a restricted free agent, able to sign an offer sheet with any team — though Charlotte could yet retain him if they match that offer sheet.
During NBA All-Star Weekend festivities in San Francisco, commissioner Adam Silver said the Hornets had not filed a grievance or protest with the league after the Williams trade fell apart. But Silver made clear that the league is going to take a closer look at the standards teams are using to pass or fail players’ physical examinations so that a trade of this magnitude does not disintegrate at the final hurdle again, given the human cost involved.
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