LA backing out of the Mark Williams trade was stupid as hell

[ImKobe]

As mentioned, Knecht didn't play. He could be useful to some other team but by not playing him Redick sets his value to the Lakers at "0" so even though Williams would have to be load managed as hard as anyone if he gives them 25 minutes last night so that Gobert doesn't look like Wilt he's easily worth Knecht.

Is he also worth a pick swap AND an unprotected 1st?

[Real Men Wear Green]

Is he also worth a pick swap AND an unprotected 1st?

For the sake of maximizing the remaining time James had its worth it. If he can stay healthy then he would even be worth it individually but regardless the bigger picture is playing for a championship while James is still playing at a high level. It's very possible that at this time next year James is just doing 15 and 7 or isn't even playing because of an injury. He's going to be 41. Has a player over 40 ever been one of the best two players in a championship team?

[ImKobe]

For the sake of maximizing the remaining time James had its worth it. If he can stay healthy then he would even be worth it individually but regardless the bigger picture is playing for a championship while James is still playing at a high level. It's very possible that at this time next year James is just doing 15 and 7 or isn't even playing because of an injury. He's going to be 41. Has a player over 40 ever been one of the best two players in a championship team?

You want to keep Luka past next year you don't give up your remaining picks for a guy who can't stay on the court and who isn't a good defensive player despite his physical tools.

Valanciunas was available and Kings got him for two 2nd rounders. The guy's only 32 years old and hasn't had any health problems and could've given the Lakers a solid 20 minutes per game in this series at least. He averaged 15/11 in 23 mpg against OKC in the Playoffs last year and looked solid for the Kings when they did give him a lot of minutes vs. good teams. Only making 10 million a year too..

[Real Men Wear Green]

You want to keep Luka past next year you don't give up your remaining picks for a guy who can't stay on the court and who isn't a good defensive player despite his physical tools.

Valanciunas was available and Kings got him for two 2nd rounders. The guy's only 32 years old and hasn't had any health problems and could've given the Lakers a solid 20 minutes per game in this series at least. He averaged 15/11 in 23 mpg against OKC in the Playoffs last year and looked solid for the Kings when they did give him a lot of minutes vs. good teams. Only making 10 million a year too..

They went after Williams in part because Doncic wanted him. If they are making moves to keep Doncic happy they actually blew it on that front as well. Regardless which superstar has ever left the Lakers as a free agent? It doesn't happen. In fact when it comes to few agents they have the advantage over everyone, how do you think they got James and AD?

Some other team getting Valanciunas or any other player has nothing to do with anything. That deal has nothing to do with this one.

[Jasper]

they needed a 5 just like milwaukee

[90sgoat]

Just having Kleber healthy would have helped.

[Im Still Ballin]

How is it cope? Sacrificing two 1sts for a guy who isn't a good defender and who can't stay on the court is a massive gamble.

Just stop. You don't know what you're talking about; you're regurgitating things you've read online and taken them wholly as fact. Zero nuance to your analysis.

He's a bad defender? According to whom? Based on what? To what degree does effort and playing on one of the shittest teams factor into the equation?

He's injury-prone? Okay. And how much have the missed games total over his first three seasons been due to injury and not tanking? How urgent was it to actually get him on the court?

On one hand, you deride Mark for only playing a small amount of games over his first three seasons. But then you try to use this small sample size to judge his defense. Makes little sense. There's just as much evidence he's a good defensive player as a bad one if we're going to use the small sample. His entire rookie season (including starting out in the G League), post All-Star break this year:

LAL could've really used his paint protection, rebounding, passing, and play finishing. His interior contesting numbers went up after the trade drama—a combination of more effort and continuing to recover from being out injured.

Mark Williams' interior contesting post All-Star break (21 games): >6ft: 60.7% DFG (-4.8) on 5.8 DFGA; <10ft: 59.3% DFG (-2.0) on 7.1 DFGA

Those numbers are comparable to Lopez (-4.1 and -2.1), Hartenstein (-5.9 and -7.7), Mobley (-5.8 and -5.5), Ware (-3.9 and -2.6), N. Reid (-3.4 and -1.4), and Sengun (-5.9 and -5.0) over that stretch. All of them are on much better teams currently in the playoffs. Mark's numbers would improve with a better supporting cast.

We need to stop exaggerating about his alleged defensive deficiencies. The boost to LAL's half-court offense and synergy playing alongside good defenders would've made him assuredly a positive on defense.

The on-court fit with LAL was great, and it made perfect sense financially and timeline-wise.

WHO CARES what Mark Williams does in three years time? He's on a cheap-ass rookie salary for 2024-25 and 2025-26 and LA needs to win NOW because LeBron is 40 and Austin is on the best contract in the NBA. Imagine thinking Dalton Knecht and a late FRP are good reasons not to go all in on winning a championship this year and next...

I hope that Dalton Knecht and the coveted 2031 late FRP amount to something. But I have a feeling it might not, and we could be left wondering what if re: the 2024-25 Lakers. But I guess there's no urgency or anything. Not like LeBron is 40. No need to try to win now, right? Mark is still on rookie salary, too. Hard to find production at such a price.

LOL.

[Im Still Ballin]

Knecht, a pick swap, and a late FRP? Garbage assets. Mark would've put them over the top, all-in to win a chip this year and the next. You take that chance 10 times out of 10.

LA's not going to get another chance to acquire a high-level rim runner on a rookie salary. Reaves will seek the max after next year, too. Could've had Luka, LBJ, Reaves, Williams, and co. for 24-25 and 25-26...

[Neal Romer]

Knecht, a pick swap, and a late FRP? Garbage assets. Mark would've put them over the top, all-in to win a chip this year and the next. You take that chance 10 times out of 10.

LA's not going to get another chance to acquire a high-level rim runner on a rookie salary. Reaves will seek the max after next year, too. Could've had Luka, LBJ, Reaves, Williams, and co. for 24-25 and 25-26...

So he's good on offense, good on defense, isnt injury prone, and plays a highly coveted position. At 24 years old.

Why exactly are the Hornets trading him for Dalton Knecht?

[Im Still Ballin]

So he's good on offense, good on defense, isnt injury prone, and plays a highly coveted position. At 24 years old.

Why exactly are the Hornets trading him for Dalton Knecht?

Because they're the ****ing Charlotte Hornets? Dumb teams do stupid shit all the time. Because they want to tank? Because he's half-assing it and they don't want to pay him? It's not about his value to the Hornets, it's about his value to the Lakers.

[ImKobe]

Just stop. You don't know what you're talking about; you're regurgitating things you've read online and taken them wholly as fact. Zero nuance to your analysis.

He's a bad defender? According to whom? Based on what? To what degree does effort and playing on one of the shittest teams factor into the equation?

He's injury-prone? Okay. And how much have the missed games total over his first three seasons been due to injury and not tanking? How urgent was it to actually get him on the court?

On one hand, you deride Mark for only playing a small amount of games over his first three seasons. But then you try to use this small sample size to judge his defense. Makes little sense. There's just as much evidence he's a good defensive player as a bad one if we're going to use the small sample. His entire rookie season (including starting out in the G League), post All-Star break this year:



The on-court fit with LAL was great, and it made perfect sense financially and timeline-wise.

WHO CARES what Mark Williams does in three years time? He's on a cheap-ass rookie salary for 2024-25 and 2025-26 and LA needs to win NOW because LeBron is 40 and Austin is on the best contract in the NBA. Imagine thinking Dalton Knecht and a late FRP are good reasons not to go all in on winning a championship this year and next...

I hope that Dalton Knecht and the coveted 2031 late FRP amount to something. But I have a feeling it might not, and we could be left wondering what if re: the 2024-25 Lakers. But I guess there's no urgency or anything. Not like LeBron is 40. No need to try to win now, right? Mark is still on rookie salary, too. Hard to find production at such a price.

LOL.

Mark Williams has never played any meaningful minutes in his life and can't stay on the court. The stats are meaningless here to begin with and it's the shots that don't get contested that's the issue. Lakers needed to trade for a proven vet who could stay on the court. People shit on the trade when it happened even though the Lakers did need a big man and now you're here crying about them not gambling on him because of what happened in this series.

[warriorfan]

Knecht, a pick swap, and a late FRP? Garbage assets. Mark would've put them over the top, all-in to win a chip this year and the next. You take that chance 10 times out of 10.

LA's not going to get another chance to acquire a high-level rim runner on a rookie salary. Reaves will seek the max after next year, too. Could've had Luka, LBJ, Reaves, Williams, and co. for 24-25 and 25-26...

I agree. I didn’t take the Lakers very seriously when they first got Luka. After that Williams trade I started to get concerned. Was nice when they sent him back from a Warriors fan’s perspective. I still thought the Lakers had enough juice to get to the second round but Minny ended up handling them.

[Wardell Curry]

Only in the sense that they don't play Dalton anyways.

Williams was injured half the year.

[Neal Romer]

Only in the sense that they don't play Dalton anyways.

Williams was injured half the year.

They didnt play him this year but he has three more years left under contract.

They may unload Rui for cap savings this summer and put DFS in the starting lineup and Knecht would step in behind him.

Or they could move Knecht (again) to move up in the draft if possible and maybe get a center like Maluach if he falls low enough.

Productive players on rookie deals is huge in the apron era. I think thats why they rethought the Williams trade. Williams is gonna be due for an extension soon, Knecht has three more years at scale. It's important for their long term cap outlook that they make use of Knecht either by having him on the court or trading him for another value contract this summer. They would be hard pressed to pay Williams next year with Lebron and Luka on a max, Reaves due for a big extension and presumably a commitment to DFS who fits perfectly with Luka.

It sucks for them this year that Williams could have helped but it's understandable given the questions around his health and
whether they could even keep him beyond next season.

Edit: Or maybe Charlotte could be persuaded to trade MW for Rui instead . He did have a nice season and playoff series. He could fit in on the wing in Charlotte.

[coin24]

Backing out of the trade cost them the season basically..

They have to build around luka, not letiny.. he’ll probably only play one more season he’ll be 41 ffs