The Los Angeles Lakers Rescinded Trade For Mark Williams Has Major Implications For The Atlanta Hawks

Williams trade from Charlotte to Los Angeles was rescinded tonight

Jackson Caudell | Feb 8, 2025

Feb 5, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) lays in the basket over Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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Atlanta Hawks

You don't see this very often in the NBA.

The Los Angeles Lakers made one of the biggest moves ahead of the trade deadline by sending Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, and draft picks to the Charlotte Hornets for center Mark Williams, a move that made a lot of sense considering that the Lakers just landed Luka Doncic. Two days after the trade, it is being rescinded.

Lakers say the Mark Williams/Dalton Knecht trade has been rescinded.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 9, 2025

Mark Williams' physical with the Lakers showed multiple issues and the team failed him on the exam, sources tell ESPN. The physical was not failed due to his back, however. https://t.co/lY4XrSIlHf
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 9, 2025

This is of course massive news for the NBA, the Lakers, and the Atlanta Hawks.

Yes, the Atlanta Hawks.

This trade being rescinded leaves the Lakers without a viable center for the rest of the season. That was the biggest hole on the Lakers and while they should still be very good on offense with Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, their defense could be a major issue and this trade not going through does make the Lakers worse.

Why is that good for the Hawks? Atlanta owns the Lakers first round pick in this upcoming 2025 draft and while that pick is not going to be super high, the lower it is will be helpful to Atlanta.

As great of a player as Doncic is, his biggest problem has always been defense and the Lakers just traded their best defensive player away. James is not the defender that he once was either. This is going to be an interesting fit for the rest of the 2025 season.

Right now, the Lakers are in 4th place in the Western Conference and 6.5 games from 11th place. I do not think they are going to fall out of the play-in race by any means, but things could potentially be bumpy in different ways for the Lakers over the next couple of months. Depending on how this team does the rest of the season, the Atlanta Hawks might have a better pick than you realize if things don't go well for Los Angeles and their new superstar duo. Atlanta could have as many as two first-round picks this upcoming NBA Draft if the Sacramento Kings pick falls outside of the top.

The Lakers have been pretty good since trading Anthony Davis, even beating the Pacers today with Doncic or James, but this could still be a glaring issue for this team.

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