It is revealed that Mark Williams failed to get a physical examination and is just an excuse! Lakers executives are worried about paying too high fees

After the Lakers defeated the Timberwolves 1-4 in the first round of the NBA playoffs, the inside story of a transaction was completely uncovered, which may be one of the reasons why the Lakers were swept by gentlemen.

According to Chaitania Dadeval, a columnist of the sports media "Fadeaway World", the Lakers management suspended Mark Williams' transaction before the trading deadline in February this year, not because of "failed to pass the physical examination", but because the 23-year-old center was "too expensive"!

time back to the trading deadline, the Lakers exchanged the Hornets for Williams, who was 2.13 meters tall, with two second round picks. The 2022 No. 15 pick averaged 15.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game this season, and his franchise protection ability is a bit like a young version of Gobert. But as soon as the transaction was reached, the Lakers' senior executives suddenly repent on the grounds of "failing to pass the physical examination", and the Hornets were forced to take back the players.

But Los Angeles Times reporter Bill Plaske pointed out incisively: "The physical examination is just a fig leaf! The Lakers are afraid. They don't want to pay a premium for young people, and they are more afraid that Williams will break the 'veteran's money-saving plan'."

What's more dramatic is that Williams himself directly criticized in an interview with the Charlotte Observer: "I don't think my physical fitness is not up to standard, I didn't even think of this. Where did the 'physical fitness problems' come from? Every injury I suffered has a good record. I have recovered. Since then, I have recovered 100%. They (the Lakers) want to make excuses, and I can't stop them."

When the Lakers' playoffs G5 was beaten by Gobert with 27 points and 24 rebounds, Williams posted some updates on social media, which was sarcastic.

This wave of operations by the Lakers senior executives is a bit like "the horse wants to run, and the horse does not eat grass."

Let’s talk about internal factors first, the management did not want to rebuild it at all. Since winning the championship in 2020, the Lakers have been addicted to the "superstar nursing home" model. Previously, James and Thick Brows all had a low-priced veteran. In their eyes, Williams's contract with an annual salary of 4.09 million has become a "luxury consumption". What's even more ironic is that after G5 was crushed by Gobert in the playoffs, the Lakers scored 16 points less in the inside than their opponents and lost 17 rebounds - is this data enough to slap in the face?

Hornets are playing badly this season to compete for the No. 1 pick, hoping to sell Williams. But the Lakers themselves are trying to die, wanting to fight immediately, and are afraid of triggering luxury tax. To put it bluntly, what the Lakers are afraid of is not Williams' knees, but the dollar in Jenny Buss' account!

Reeves is 26 years old and Hachimura Shizuo is 27 years old in the Lakers. Where do you have the worry about the veteran thinking he is immature? On the contrary, a big man like Williams who can run and jump should be perfectly adapted to Doncic (if the deal is reached). As a result, in order to save money, the management would rather let James play inside and overdraw his body than give young people a chance.

After all, as a giant family in the Los Angeles market, the Lakers are so stingy that they are planning to make a rookie contract. Look at the Thunder next door, Alexander led the team to the top in the West, but he didn't think that Homegren was "too expensive". If the Lakers continue to be so smart, I am afraid that they will continue to rely on James to play center next season?

In the fifth match of the series, Doncic scored 28 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists and 1 steal. Although his quasi-3 double-double performance looked very beautiful, according to statistics from basketball expert Michael Jagacki, Doncic lost 41 points in the defensive end in the fifth game.

The reason why the Mavericks did not highlight such a negative effect before was mainly because the team had a luxurious interior configuration and had frame protection experts like Lefly and Gafford, which reduced Doncic's defensive pressure. However, the Lakers did not win Mark Williams in the mid-season trade, and the young center Haye was unable to bear the heavy responsibility, resulting in frequent loopholes in the Lakers' penalty area defense, and Doncic's negative side on the defensive end will naturally be amplified.

Of course, Lakers general manager Pelinka said after the team was eliminated that the main goal of the offseason was to increase the size of the frontcourt and center positions.

As fans, we also hope that the Lakers can make a comeback and wait and see.