Lakers, Hornets Announce Trade Sending Dalton Knecht To Charlotte, Mark Williams To LA

February 7, 2025

The NBA trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Charlotte Hornets has been officially completed, the teams confirmed in separate press releases.

The Lakers have theoretically found their replacement for Anthony Davis in Mark Williams.

For Williams, the Hornets landed rookie wing Dalton Knecht, forwards Cam Reddish, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris and the Lakers’ unprotected 2031 first-round pick, and a 2030 first-round pick swap.

The Lakers made waves over the weekend by acquiring five-time All-NBA guard Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks, as well as Kleber and Morris. However, the deal for Doncic cost Los Angeles its All-NBA center Davis.

Despite comments from general manager Rob Pelinka earlier this week suggesting the team might seek a stop-gap center for the rest of the season, the front office made a bolder move, landing Williams by sacrificing Knecht and two future first-round picks.

The 23-year-old Williams had been enjoying a breakout season with the Hornets, averaging 16.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 0.7 steals per game in 22 contests. Though Williams has faced some injury concerns early in his career, including a back issue and a small fracture in his left foot, the Lakers are confident in his medical outlook.

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and Ramona Shelburne reported that Doncic played a key role in the Lakers’ decision to pursue Williams, noting that Doncic’s success in Dallas with vertical lob threats had a significant impact on the team’s thinking.

The Lakers will now open up a standard roster spot with this two-for-one deal, allowing for potential future moves. However, the Lakers no longer have any tradable first-round draft picks. The team could look to use the open roster spot in the buyout market, McMenamin suggests.

Knecht, a promising rookie out of Tennessee, has shown potential, averaging 9.4 points per game this season on strong shooting splits. Meanwhile, Reddish, included in the deal for salary matching, is a solid defender but has struggled offensively, posting career lows in points (3.3) and minutes (18.1) per game.