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Lakers Tried to Acquire Hawks Player Before Mark Williams Trade

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ashish Mathur | Last updated May 23, 2025 1:10 PM ET

After the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in February, the team needed a center since Anthony Davis was traded to the Mavericks.

Los Angeles general manager Rob Pelinka acquired Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets after meeting with Doncic. The Lakers were all set to start Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James and Williams.

However, Williams failed his physical with the Lakers, so the trade fell through.

Not having a talented big man hurt the Lakers in the first round of this year's playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Los Angeles had no one to stop Rudy Gobert, who had 27 points and 24 rebounds in Game 5.

The Lakers, despite having Doncic and James, lost to the Timberwolves in five games.

Pelinka tried hard to acquire a center after trading for Doncic. Not only did he target Williams, but he also talked to the Atlanta Hawks about Onyeka Okongwu.

"Before the Mark Williams trade, and I can’t tell you all the names on that list, but I actually assume he was one of the names on the list that Rob Pelinka presented to Luka because I do know the Lakers made a call to the Hawks around the trade deadline about Okongwu," Dave McMenamin of ESPN said on The Straight Fire podcast with Jason McIntyre.

Pelinka told local reporters during his end-of-the-season press conference that he will attempt to acquire a center this summer.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick played without a center in Game 5 against the Timberwolves since Jaxson Hayes was struggling against Gobert.

"We know this offseason, one of our primary goals is going to be to add size in our frontcourt at the center position," Pelinka said. LA's roster needs more size and a center. That's a very clear and obvious by-product of trading potentially the best big in the league to Dallas to get a point guard. Of course, that's going to open up a huge hole.

"The trade deadline and the moments up to it don't allow you the requisite time to explore every single unturned stone to add a big to our roster. We just didn't have the time after the Luka trade. But now we do."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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