The Lakers probably aren’t done.
Los Angeles Lakers, Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, Mark Williams, Charlotte Hornets, NBA Trade Rumors | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
The Los Angeles Lakers already made the biggest trade in NBA history this season, and they aren’t done yet. Shams Charania of ESPN reports that the Lakers have traded Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, their 2031 first-round pick, and a pick swap in 2031 to the Charlotte Hornets for big man Mark Williams. Now, they have their center of the future.
Williams will get to run pick-and-rolls with Doncic for years and LeBron James for the next season or so. That’s a dream for any big man, let alone a 23-year-old center emerging as a quality NBA player. But this deal signals one clear truth about the current state of the Lakers—they aren’t done.
And their next move is painfully obvious.
Trading Rui Hachimura is the next Lakers move after Mark Williams deal
When the Lakers traded for Doncic, it was obvious that they had to trade for a center. Sending Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks meant that they had no starting-caliber bigs on the roster. Now, they do—Williams.
But the package that they sent to the Hornets should tell Lakers fans one thing—Rui Hachimura is next. It may not seem obvious, but thinking about it for a second makes it clear.
The Lakers landed Williams, and now, their roster looks solid. But they could have traded for a patchwork center and gone after their big man of the future this summer. Instead, they went all-in right now. They want to compete at a high level very, very soon.
And taking a quick glance as their roster, trading Hachimura makes a ton of sense, especially if they can find the right piece to trade for.
LA already has Dorian Finney-Smith, who Doncic is very close with and is one of the better 3-and-D forwards in the league.
Hachimura $17 million. Combine that with Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent, or Jarred Vanderbilt, and the Lakers have enough money to make a big-swing move, which they clearly aren’t afraid to make.
Giving up the picks they did in the Williams deal may prevent them from truly star-hunting, but they have the salary to make a huge deal, and any inclination of hesitation has gone out the window.
If the Lakers decide to keep Hachimura, he’ll be fine in the rotation. But based on how much they were willing to give up for Williams—an oft-injured big man (who admittedly has a ton of upside) in a deal—they are ready to swing for the fences right away.
That means more players are on the chopping block, and one look across the roster leaves Hachimura as the piece most likely to go.