NBA Center Mark Williams Pokes Fun at Lakers' Misery on Instagram
The Lakers nearly snagged a much-needed center before the trade deadline this year when they made a pitch for Charlotte Hornets' Mark Williams.
Ultimately, the trade fell through over the Lakers' concerns with Williams' physical. Charlotte pushed back, contending that LA simply gave up on the trade, and both teams seemingly went their own ways.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 03: Mark Williams #5 of the Charlotte Hornets plays against the Washington Wizards during their game at Spectrum Center on February 03, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
On Wednesday, the Lakers were humiliated with a first-round loss to the Timberwolves, and ready to pounce on the losing LA team was Mark Williams.
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The would-be Laker posted several jabs thrown at the Lakers on social media; pertinent to his situation was how badly the Lakers got dominated in the front-court, notably due to their lack of size, which Williams would've greatly helped with if not for the foiled trade.
Basically, Williams was celebrating as the Lakers were lamenting. He posted a cryptic smiley face on X and followed it up with a meme on Instagram suggesting he was happily attending the Lakers' funeral.
NBA center Mark Williams pokes fun at Lakers' misery on Instagram (Getty Images)
Right when LA felt equipped to stay alive in the series, Minnesota center Rudy Gobert dominated the Lakers' front-court players, to the tune of 27 points and 24 rebounds.
Yikes. As many were saying around the time of LA's loss, the Lakers could've benefited from taking on the Mark Williams risk.
After all, the guy averaged a double-double all season, netting 10 rebounds per game. On top of that, the player LA would have given up, rookie Dalton Knecht, played one stinkin' minute in the entire series.
READ: Lakers And Hornets Mark Williams-Dalton Knecht Trade Reportedly Falls Apart
Williams may not have been a sure bet to help the Lakers win this series. Still, it was hard to imagine a seven-foot center not having an impact in this series.
As is typical in Laker Land, the great "What If" will haunt this franchise all season, wondering why they couldn't get the job done with LeBron James and Luka Doncic on their roster.
LOS ANGELES, USA - APRIL 30: Luka Doncic (77) from the Los Angeles Lakers gaurded by Anthony Edwards (5) of the Minnesota Timberwolves during game 5 of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. (Photo by Jon Putman/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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