Restart the center trade! The annual salary next season is only $6.28 million, and the Lakers once again missed him

NBA reporter Jake Weinbach reported yesterday that Hornets center Mark Williams is expected to be put on the shelf again by the Hornets to restart the trade. He was almost traded to the Lakers before the trade deadline in February, but that deal was eventually withdrawn.

The 23-year-old No. 15 pick in the 2022 first round is in the third year of his rookie contract with a salary of $4.09 million, and the 2025-26 season, the final year of his rookie contract, is about $6.28 million.

With only one year left on his contract, he doesn't seem to be on the Hornets' future plans. If the Hornets continue to peddle the center with starting qualities, the likes of the Bucks, Bulls, Celtics, Raptors and Warriors could all be potential suitors.

See, there is no Laker's name on it, and the Lakers said goodbye to him again. After Ma Wei came to the Lakers to report, the team doctor found that there was a huge hidden danger in his injury, so the Lakers did not dare to risk signing him. I'm afraid that Ma Wei is a "glass man", if he plays a dozen in the regular season and suddenly gets injured, he will not be able to play in the playoffs at all, so he will take a break.

The Hornets Lakers deal fell through, and it is estimated that there will be no more transactions in the short term, and the two sides have become each other's blacklists. At that time, the Lakers sent Kneckt + Reddish + 2030 first-round pick swap + an unprotected 2031 first-round pick in exchange for Mark Williams.

In the regular season this season, Ma Wei averaged 26.6 minutes per game, scored 15.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks, and shot 60.4% from the field, but his attendance was low, playing only 44 games. So far in his career, Ma Wei has only played 106 games due to various injuries, with a playing rate of 43%. There must be a reason why the Hornets are in such a hurry to sell him.

Okay, let's not talk about him, look at the news from the Lakers today.

Salary expert Bobby Marks said today: "For the second consecutive offseason, James' potential free agent status is impacting the Lakers' operations in terms of roster reinforcements. James has a $52.6 million player option next season. He and Finneysmith have until June 29 to decide whether or not to exercise their contract options for next season. ”

If James chooses to do so, or sign a new contract with a similar starting salary, the Lakers' salary will be $1.3 million above the luxury tax line. They are $6.7 million short of the No. 1 local tycoon line and can only use $5.7 million in non-taxpayer middle-class contracts. With the Lakers well below the second line, they have flexibility in integrating contracts in the trade. ”

"Regarding Doncic's contract extension, there are a number of possible options on Aug. 2, the first day he is eligible for a contract extension. One is a four-year, $229 million max contract, with $51 million in annual salary for the 2026-27 season replacing the player option for that season. More likely: a three-year, $165 million contract extension with a third-year player option. The short-term contract extension would allow Doncic to re-enter the free agent market more quickly and potentially make up for the $345 million he lost when he was traded from the Mavericks. ”

"One of the Lakers' first goals this offseason is to understand what James and Doncic think about the team's future roster," Shams said. ”

Doncic recently talked about what it's like to be teammates with James on the show "Brain of the Court": "I've never played with a guy like this. It felt very different when I was first traded to Los Angeles, but it was incredible to play with someone like him and I learned a lot. First of all, he did all the preparation for the game off the field. Of course, on the field as well. ”

Nash said there were many similarities between James and Doncic's style of play, with Doncic quipping, "yes, but you didn't mention bounce. ”

It's a bit funny, except that the bounce power and speed are not as good as Lao Zhan, Doncic is simply a replica of James.