Remember how I asserted that the Los Angeles Lakers would regret not trading for Nick Richards? Well, it appears that's wrong because they grabbed a different center from the Charlotte Hornets: Mark Williams.
It was starting to look like the 2025 trade deadline would be relatively quiet for Charlotte. But hours before the deadline, it decided to make a splash by giving the Lakers their coveted big man, someone who would definitely thrive alongside Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
The Hornets faithful are probably still shocked by the move, especially since it has only been eight months since the top brass pronounced Williams as one of the franchise's core players.
The trade
As it turned out, Charlotte was willing to part ways with Williams in exchange for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick, and the right to swap first-round picks in 2030.
Could the Hornets have gotten more for a potential-packed piece? Probably. However, some teams possibly didn't even know that he was available. Los Angeles, though, likely targeted him, and without that many resources at hand, the Purple and Gold sent everything at its disposal to Charlotte.
Maybe Buzz City should have asked for more pick swaps, although it probably wouldn't have mattered because the Lakers look like legitimate contenders in the coming years.
The grade
Of course, the prized jewel of the trade for the Hornets is the 2031 first-rounder that has no protection. Still, it's hard not to wonder about its value, considering that the Lakers are always expected to find ways to field a competitive team. Moreover, Doncic would only be 32 by the time the pick conveys to Charlotte, and there's a huge chance he would still be at the top of his game by then.
It's worth noting that Knecht would also be a great addition to the Hive, given his potential to be an elite shooter from long distance. It just hasn't been realized yet, as evidenced by his 35.8 percent shooting from 3-point range.
The thing is, the Hornets could have just drafted the former University Tennessee-Knoxville standout last summer if they were really high on him. Instead, they brought in Tidjane Salaun, with Knecht going off the board 11 spots later.
Some have also pointed out that the young swingman is months older than Williams despite being a rookie.
Reddish could fill a need for the Hornets, although fans are already tired of waiting for him to live up to the hype that followed him when he was selected at No. 10 in the 2019 draft.
So, there is a massive possibility that the deal can backfire big time for Charlotte. Perhaps the only way for the organization to eventually get vindicated is if Williams can't overcome his health problems, which likely factored into the Hornets' decision to give up on him.