Mark Williams trade that wasn't could shape Lakers' offseason

There are two narratives around why the failed Mark Williams trade will prove to be impactful for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2025 offseason. There is the obvious one, and the less talked about about one.

The obvious one is, despite navigating the 2024-25 regular season pretty well without an overly capable center, the Lakers quickly suffered as a result of their decision to axe the trade in the postseason. Mark Williams even celebrated after the Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated the Lakers.

A famous meme on Instagram and a smiley face on Twitter/X after the Lakers lost 103-96 in Game 5 of their first-round matchup told everyone what they needed to know about Williams' feelings. In the words of Captain Holt from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, that was 'vindication' as to why they needed him.

With the Lakers entering the 2025 offseason in search of a center whose health they can rely on, the less talked about issue comes into the mix. Will teams be cautious of trading with the Lakers after they forced a deal to be rescinded?

Ripple effects from failed Williams trade could haunt Lakers during the summer

Trust is a great thing to have and a hard thing to lose. The Lakers, for example, greatly benefitted from having the trust of the Dallas Mavericks when it came to keeping the workings of the Luka Doncic trade quiet from the rest of the league.

By contrast, after pulling out of the Williams deal, other organizations may start to look at Rob Pelinka a little bit funny. Opposing general managers would certainly be justified in holding reservations around negotiating with the Lakers front office after that decision.

Pelinka and company were right to back out of the trade if Williams' health raised that many alarm bells. That much is true for the Lakers. However, it still showcases poor optics to the rest of the league regardless of how understandable that choice was internally.

The major concern with this aspect of the failed trade is that the Lakers need to use the trade market this offseason to upgrade their starting center spot. The options in free agency are either lackluster, or just out of reach.

Securing a backup center in free agency is certainly doable. However, a long-term solution for a running mate next to Doncic needs to come via trade.

For a team trying to build a championship contender with limited assets, having such a red flag attached to them will be a major disadvantage heading into negotiations. Pelinka will need to reassure potential trade partners that the Williams fiasco was a one-time necessity.