The Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to add one more forward before the offseason ends, and Grant Williams has been named as a realistic option. A polarizing offseason to most NBA fans saw the Lakers losing both LeBron James and Rui Hachimura as starting forwards for the team. The team has not properly replaced the forwards since they focused more on finding a new starting center and more guards.
Lakers insider Jovan Buha was directly asked about Williams as a potential addition:
“I would say that to me, just looking at the numbers and watching the film on him, Grant Williams just profiles more as a bench-level player than a starter. I think he can be a productive and solid bench player, but I don’t think he’s a starting-level player, especially through the lens of like competing with the league’s best teams.”
The honesty from Buha claimed that Williams does make sense as a bench option, but the Lakers could be making a huge mistake if they try to start him. Williams is currently on the Charlotte Hornets and can be acquired for a relatively cheap trade package. However, it would likely just be to add another bench piece rather than aiming to improve the starting lineup.
Who Will Start For Lakers As Forwards?
The biggest question comes back to who the Lakers can actually trust in their starting lineup for the regular season. Three obvious starting spots see Luka Doncic, Walker Kessler, and Austin Reaves as confirmed starters. The two guards are the top offensive stars, and Kessler was added to be the center of the future.
Grimes is versatile enough to start at small forward as the best available talent, but his game is quite similar to the two guards. Jake LaRavia is most likely to start at power forward since he can hit three-point shots to benefit from Luka running the offense.
Other options include rookie Cameron Carr and Sandro Mamukelashvili, but both have a lot of question marks associated with them. Williams could make sense as a trade to improve the overall depth. However, Buha cited concerns about him hurting the team as a starter.
Should The Lakers Get Grant Williams?
Charlotte would likely trade Williams for a cheap price since he’s on an expiring contract and not considered a huge part of the team. A young guard prospect or second round picks could be enough to add Williams to the roster before the offseason ends.
Williams has proven he can contribute to winning basketball after he spent a few seasons with the Boston Celtics. Charlotte eventually added him to help their young roster, but his injury woes earlier in the tenure made him less of a veteran success for the roster. Last season saw Williams playing 20 minutes per game and averaging 7 points.
The Lakers must decide whether they trust Williams shooting and defense enough to pull off a trade. Charlotte has shown they are looking to make changes after trading away both LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges during this offseason. Many Lakers fans would prefer to see the rookie Carr get more forward minutes than go after Williams.
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