Report: Hornets ship Mark Williams to Lakers for Dalton Knecht

The Hornets got in on the dealing by shipping center Mark Williams to the Lakers for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a swap of 2030 first round draft picks and an unprotected first rounder pick in 2031, according to ESPN.

Williams fills a vital link for the Lakers, who traded Anthony Davis to Dallas last week in exchange for Luka Doncic while the Hornets are now in teardown mode for an overhaul.

In Knecht, the Hornets are banking on adding offensive firepower to a lineup in need. LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller are the core. Miller (wrist) is sidelined for the rest of the season; Ball (ankle) has yet to be cleared for a return. The deal also leaves Charlotte without a true center. The Hornets shipped backup Nick Richards to Phoenix last month for guard Josh Okogie and three second round draft picks.

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The Charlotte Hornets, per ESPN, have traded center Mark Williams to the Lakers in return for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and a pair of first round draft picks.

Knecht, a rookie wing who averages 9.4 points on 46.4% shooting and 3.7 rebounds per game, was the Lakers’ first round pick (17th overall) in last year’s draft. As a perimeter specialist who averaged 20.7 points an outing in Los Angeles, Knecht was expendable with the Lakers’ acquiring Doncic, but he’ll get plenty of floor time in Charlotte where healthy bodies are at a premium.

As for the center position, the Hornets are going small for the foreseeable future. With Williams and Richards gone, Moussa Diabate and Taj Gibson, both 6-9 forwards, are likely to get most of the minutes with Miles Bridges perhaps getting some play when they go to an even smaller lineup.

If the Hornets don’t make another deal by today’s 3 p.m. deadline, the path forward becomes clearer: leverage the stockpile of draft capital in the spring to package extra value in trade. As one of the NBA’s worst teams, Charlotte will be in the lottery with favorable odds to land the first pick, which could be Duke forward Cooper Flagg if the freshman decides to turn pro.

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