The Los Angeles Lakers made good on their promise of getting a big man on Wednesday evening when they signed Mark Williams, formerly of the Charlotte Hornets.
Williams will bring a lot to the team, but apparently, the Lakers were looking at several other players before they acquired him.
Brett Siegel reported that the Lakers had their eyes on several other stars, including Robert Williams, Myles Turner, and Jericho Sims.
Meanwhile, they inquired about Jakob Poeltl of the Toronto Raptors and Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons.
“Before pulling off a big move for Williams, Pelinka made several calls around the league to inquire about athletic big men with rim-protecting abilities. League sources say Robert Williams, Myles Turner, and Jericho Sims were big men on the Lakers’ radar. Although their asking prices were too steep, Los Angeles also inquired about Jakob Poeltl with Toronto and Jalen Duren with Detroit, sources confirmed,” Siegel wrote, per NBACentral.
The Lakers reportedly contacted the Pistons about Jalen Duren before trading for Mark Williams, per @BrettSiegelNBA
“Before pulling off a big move for Williams, Pelinka made several calls around the league to inquire about athletic big men with rim-protecting abilities. League… pic.twitter.com/YY4ZQsQt6V
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 6, 2025
The desire for Duren is understandable because he is averaging 10.7 points and 10.0 rebounds per game this season.
With a 69.8 percent field goal percentage, Duren could have brought a lot to the Lakers.
Still, fans believe they got a great deal with Williams.
Williams is averaging 15.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game this year, although there are some concerns about him.
The biggest is the fact that he has been injury-prone and has only played in 23 games this season.
Throughout his three-year career, Williams has missed plenty of games and has only appeared in 85 matches.
However, the Lakers believe that his injury problems are behind him and that Williams will instantly become an important part of the roster.
The loyal LA fans have been waiting for a big man to replace Anthony Davis.
Williams has huge shoes to fill, but can he do it, or will people always wonder what life would have been like with Duren?
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