After the blockbuster trade that brought Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this week, the team continued to make moves. On Thursday morning, just hours before the 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, the Lakers reportedly finalized a deal to acquire center Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets. This acquisition appeared to address the significant gap in their frontcourt following Anthony Davis’s departure as part of the Dončić trade. Not everyone in Charlotte, however, is upset about letting Williams go.
Just two days prior to the trade, the Hornets suffered a disappointing 124-114 loss to the struggling Washington Wizards. At halftime, as Charlotte trailed 77-54, Hornets Live analyst Terrence Oglesby didn’t hold back in his critique of Williams’ performance. He expressed his frustration, stating, “I’m just gonna say it: I’m OK when shots are missed. I’m OK when errors happen. But if there’s at least effort, I can live with those things. Mark Williams has put together a first half that I’ve never seen from a starting center at the NBA level. Heck, even maybe the college level.”
Hard truths by @T_Oglesby22:
“I’m OK when shots are missed. I’m OK when errors happen. If there’s at least effort, I can live with those things. Mark Williams has put together a first half that I’ve never seen from a starting center at the NBA level. Heck, maybe college level.” pic.twitter.com/wDZVITx9k2
— /r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) February 4, 2025
Oglesby also emphasized, “If you’re going to be the center of a franchise where they’ve invested in you and they have planned for you to be a core piece moving forward, that effort is unacceptable.” Whether Oglesby was overestimating Williams’ role within the Hornets or the team acknowledged his concerns, the Lakers presented an offer — including Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 unprotected first-round pick, and a 2030 pick swap — that Charlotte couldn’t refuse. As a result, the 23-year-old big man is headed to Los Angeles, where he won’t have to wait long to be in the national spotlight.
