Mark Williams Trade Rescinded: Did Pelinka Make a Mistake? Can Lakers Find Another Center?

So what now?

In news that frankly was more stunning than the acquisition of center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets late last week, on Saturday evening it was announced that the deal was off. Why? Because Williams failed his physical with the Lakers. This sort of thing is exceedingly rare. Often when problems like this pop up, the terms of compensation change, but the trade still happens. But for the centerpiece (no pun intended) of a trade to be examined and red flagged to the point where the team that wanted him won't sign off? 

Wow. 

So who's to blame here? Did Rob Pelinka screw this up (and in the process cost the Lakers a chance to get a different center whose body they presumably wouldn't decide is a ticking time bomb? Did the Hornets try to hide the ball and hoodwink the Lakers into giving up (a lot of) assets for a guy they knew was damaged? Or was this just the process playing out as it should? 

Either way, the Lakers are now short the starting center they thought they had on Thursday as the deadline passed, and don't have many options to try and solve the problem. Essentially, they're down to players available through the buyout market (the most prominent being Daniel Theis and former Laker (albeit briefly) Mo Bamba. Could those guys help a little? Maybe? Depends on how we're defining "help" and "a little." Are they difference makers? Absolutely not. (And because both Knecht and Reddish are back on the roster, they'd have to cut someone to make the room. 

Maybe they roll with Jaxson Hayes and two-way centers Trey Jemison III and Christian Koloko, creating roster space for one of them to be converted to a regular NBA contract, since two-way guys aren't eligible for the postseason. 

But mostly, it's just pretty clear the Lakers are going to have to finish the year with a different roster than the one they had hoped for, which means JJ Redick and his staff will have to adjust accordingly. Winning games like Saturday in Indiana feel even more important now, since the team could be a little weaker. Winning games like those, and like the one coming tonight against Utah (with Luka Doncic hopefully ready to make his debut in LA), are/will be critical for giving the Lakers a little cushion to absorb any slow start they might have in the Doncic Era. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: The Williams Deal is Dead

SEGMENT 2: Did Pelinka make a mistake, here? 

SEGMENT 3: AD injured. That sucks. 

 

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