Rob Pelinka had a busy week leading up to the Feb. 6 trade deadline. First, he swung a monster trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks with Luka Doncic heading to the Los Angeles Lakers. Then, he secured the Lakers big man of the future, Mark Williams, in a deal with the Charlotte Hornets.
Those two trades mean the Lakers will look considerably different moving forward. LeBron James has a new superstar running mate. And Williams will have his chance to shine in one of the biggest markets on the planet. As such, former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins believes the Lakers are ready to contend for a championship.
“The Lakers and LeBron James are inspired right now,” Perkins said during a Feb. 7 episode of ESPN’s SportsCenter. “This team is legit title contenders. It is going to be hard as hell for any coaching staff to prep to try to stop a two-man game between Luka Doncic and LeBron James in a seven-game series…This is a dangerous ball club.”
It’s likely too soon to be anointing the Lakers as championship contenders. We need to see how LeBron and Doncic gel together over the second half of the season. However, it’s clear the Lakers are a more dangerous team than the one that has stuttered through the season thus far.
Lakers Got Luka Doncic the Rim Runner he Wanted
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Doncic informed the Lakers of his desire to play with a lob threat.
“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…”
Shelburne continued.
“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.”
Williams is a high-level rim runner who still has plenty of room to improve. He should thrive playing next to two elite passers LeBron and Doncic. However, his defensive positioning and timing will need to improve if he hopes to anchor a championship-level roster for years to come.
Lakers Got A+ Grade For Mark Williams’ Deal
When the Lakers deal for Williams was announced, Yahoo Sports Kevin O’Connor took to X to share his thoughts on the addition.
“Mark Williams is a shocking addition for the Lakers,” O’Connor posted 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 IMO. Stunned the Hornets moved him even though the return is quite nice.”
With the additions of Doncic and Williams, the Lakers have gotten younger. It’s clear that Pelinka and the front office have turned their attention toward the future of the franchise. Of course, if they can challenge for championships in the meantime, that will likely keep LeBron around for a few more years.
It’s a good time to be a Lakers fan, even if there’s still a lot of questions that need answering.
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