5 Big Man Options For Lakers Now That Mark Williams Trade is Rescinded
Jan 27, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams (5) tries for a steal from Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2) during the second half at the Spectrum Center.
The Los Angeles Lakers have had an absolute whirlwind of a week.
After offloading 10-time All-Star center Anthony Davis, 3-and-D starting shooting guard Max Christie, and a first-round 2029 NBA Draft pick to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for five-time All-
NBA superstar guard Luka Doncic, L.A. followed that up by agreeing to move rookie sharpshooter Dalton Knecht, small forward Cam Reddish their first-round pick in the 2031 NBA Draft, and the rights to a 2030 pick swap to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for athletic center Mark Williams.
Like any trade, the deal could of course be nullified by the results of a physical on either side, but the likeliness of that happening is generally incredibly limited.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened with the oft-hurt Williams. Shams Charania of ESPN reports that the team’s contract for Williams has been rescinded because he failed his physical.
The Lakers are now left with the current centers they have rostered: starter Jaxson Hayes, two-way signings Christian Koloko and Trey Jemison III, deep-bench big Markieff Morris, and a pair of big men with long-term injuries and murky future availability this season, Maxi Kleber and Christian Wood.
Will this be enough for team president Rob Pelinka? Or will he look to the buyout market for at least one reinforcement?
Chris Boucher
Boucher is an intriguing, still-athletic veteran who’s shown flashes with the Toronto Raptors in the past. The 6-foot-9 big man, 32, has enjoyed an outsized role off the bench for a tanking Toronto club, averaging 10.5 points on .505/.377/.788 shooting splits and 4.3 rebounds in his 44 contests this year.
Maybe he can’t really buy a rebound and is a relative string bean, but he could serve as a solid shooting option with some verticality.
Larry Nance Jr.
Nance began his NBA career with the Lakers (he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers to play alongside now-Laker LeBron James midway through the 2017-18 season) and is a solid, versatile big man capable of guarding power forwards and centers.
In 22 games for the Atlanta Hawks, the 6-foot-9 Wyoming product is averaging 8.2 points on .507/.464/.750 shooting splits, 4.3 boards, 1.6 assists and 0.9 steals in his 22 healthy bouts.
Daniel Theis
The well-traveled Theis is a big body who can big around in the paint, but he’s a bit undersized and slow-footed for a center and it’s unclear how much gas is left in his tank.
The 6-foot-8 vet out of Germany, 32, had been averaging a scant 4.3 points on 47.3 percent shooting from the floor and 83.8 percent shooting from the charity stripe, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks in 16.3 minutes a night for the 12-39 New Orleans Pelicans. He was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder and quickly waived.
P.J. Tucker
The beloved sneakerhead journeyman forward used to be a multifaceted 3-and-D combo forward for several playoff squads, eventually winning his lone NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.
At 39, he’s a bit past his prime, and had been away from the L.A. Clippers all season awaiting a trade. He was eventually offloaded to Boucher’s Raptors, but as an aging veteran he seems unlikely to earn minutes there.
Adding Tucker to a revamped Lakers squad this year doesn’t make much sense, the 6-foot-5 pro’s best days are clearly in the rearview.
The Lakers have, of course, been down this road before. The 7-foot big man was obtained by L.A. at the 2022-23 season’s trade deadline, and was seen as an athletic, rangy 3-and-D option. He barely played, averaging 3.7 points on .407/.313/.545 shooting splits and 4.6 rebounds in just nine games (one start) for the Lakers. Bamba did not make then-head coach Darvin Ham’s playoff rotation.
He had been playing for the L.A. Clippers this season, but was traded to the Utah Jazz as part of L.A.’s trade for Drew Eubanks. The Lakers likely know better than to revisit this option.
A pair of former 2020 Lakers championship centers, 39-year-old Dwight Howard and 37-year-old JaVale McGee, are both plying their trade internationally. Could one of them earn a call?
The list we gave covers the anticipated possibilities for most teams this year so far. With a plum starting gig on a major Western Conference contender now looking quite available, perhaps some unpredicted big man will negotiate a buyout and enter the fray.
Alternately, perhaps Lakers head coach JJ Redick looks at his current roster and decides he has enough. Since becoming L.A.’s de facto starter after Davis went down with an injury, Jaxson Hayes has looked pretty solid. He’s strong defensively around the rim, and has developed a nice give-and-go game with All-NBA superstar forward LeBron James.
