NBA Analyst Makes Bold Comment After Lakers’ ‘Shocking’ Moves

The Los Angeles Lakers are now a title contender this season after they acquired a center as a follow-up move to the Luka Doncic trade, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’ Connor believes.

“The Lakers have entered the NBA Finals conversation. Mark Williams is awesome,” O’Connor said on X, commenting on ESPN’s Shams Charania’s early Thursday’s breaking news of the Lakers’ acquisition of the 23-year-old center from the Charlotte Hornets.

O’Connor expounded his commentary on the Lakers’ move to acquire Williams as Doncic’s lob partner.

“Mark Williams is a shocking addition for the Lakers,” O’Connor wrote in a separate post on X. “Such an incredible trade. Wow. Perfect for what they need now and into the future. Interior defensive enforcer, rebounder, screen and lob target for Luka and LeBron. Plus has untapped shooting touch. A+ deadline becomes A+++++…Injuries are of course the concern with Mark Williams. But more than worth the upside bet at age 23 [in my opinion]. Stunned the Hornets moved him even though the return is quite nice.”

Williams is in the midst of a career season, averaging 15.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting an efficient 59.7% from the field.

On paper, the Lakers have a balanced roster.

Williams is projected to start in the frontcourt with LeBron James, Rui Hachimura or Dorian Finney-Smith, Austin Reaves and Doncic at the backcourt.

They also have depth on their bench with Jaxson Hayes, Gabe Vincent, Finney-Smith or Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt.

Injury Concerns

O’Connor’s former boss, Bill Simmons of The Ringer seemingly agreed, but with a caveat.

“Mark Williams is legit good. (When he plays.),” Simmons wrote on X. 

Williams hasn’t played more than 43 games in each of his first two seasons in the NBA because of injuries, including a back issue that limited him to only 19 games last season.

But that did not concern the Lakers, Dan Woike of Los Angeles Times reported, in the aftermath of the trade.

“Lakers, per sources, confident that Mark Williams’ back issues from a year ago are healed and that they’re getting one of the game’s top young centers who fit the Doncic archetype,” Woike wrote on X.

The Lakers paid a hefty price to acquire the 7-foot center out of Duke, surrendering their 2031 first-round pick, a pick swap in 2030 and their rookie sharpshooter Dalton Knecht, the 17th overall pick of last year’s draft.

But the Lakers were more than willing to pay that price as they bring in a center who fits Doncic’s playing style and his timeline.

How Lakers Land Their Anthony Davis Replacement

Lakers vice president and general manager Rob Pelinka acknowledged during Doncic’s introductory press conference that they have a gaping hole in the middle after trading Anthony Davis for Doncic.

“We know we have a need for a big,” Pelinka told reporters during Dončić’s introductory press conference. “The market for bigs right now, leading into the last two or three days of the trade deadline, is very dry. There’s just not a lot available. So maybe we’ll be able to do some stuff around the margins.

“I would say, in terms of a big move for that position, it’s probably more realistic that that would be something that comes in the offseason. But Luka will be at the center of that, as we build for the long term.”

But just like how Doncic fell on their lap, it was the Hornets who approached the Lakers.

The Hornets pounced on the opportunity to get Knecht, who they liked, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.

“Lakers had been looking for a big but once they got Luka this week, they knew exactly what kind of big they wanted,” Shelburne reported via X. “From what I’ve heard, in Luka’s initial basketball conversations he told Lakers GM Rob Pelinka he played best when he had a vertical lob threat. When Charlotte called saying they liked Knecht and might be willing to discuss Mark Williams, the deal came into place…”

“The Lakers had previously looked at more veteran, slower/older bigs. But when Luka explained how much playing with Lively and Gafford opened things up for him in Dallas, LA felt like this was the move that would give them a shot this year and beyond.”