How Luka Doncic subtly asked the LA Lakers to trade for Mark Williams

The Los Angeles Lakers have done pretty well in terms of making moves to improve their roster. General manager Rob Pelinka pleasantly surprised fans after trading for Luka Doncic as he sent Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks.

Doncic's arrival will essentially help the Purple and Gold build around a superstar for the next decade or so. With that said, the organization took the first step towards that by trading for the Charlotte Hornets' Mark Williams.

Being an elite center, Williams is the perfect player for the LA Lakers post the Anthony Davis trade. After all, the organization has been aching for such a transaction for at least a couple of seasons now.

NBA insider Dave McMenamin recently spoke about how Luka Doncic essentially asked Pelinka to get a player of Williams' caliber right after his arrival in LA.

“After huddling with Luka Doncic after the trade, he impressed upon Lakers' brass his desire to play with a lob threat, mobile big whose vertical spacing gives Doncic another option when making his reads,” McMenamin tweeted on X.

After huddling with Luka Doncic after the trade, he impressed upon Lakers’ brass his desire to play with a lob threat, mobile big whose vertical spacing gives Doncic another option when making his reads, sources told ESPN.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 6, 2025

Doncic possesses elite playmaking skills and throughout his NBA career, he has always played better when an athletic lob threat is with him on the court.

Before making the Williams trade, the Lakers didn't have a player that would fit that description. Fortunately, the issue is now resolved and as for his stats, Williams averaged 15.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game during his stint with the Hornets.