Sports
Lakers trade for center Mark Williams, deal Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and draft picks
Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ general manager and frequent target of the team’s fan base for inaction on the trade market, sat in front of cameras and told everyone there was no way to wave a “magic wand” and make the right center appear.
For months the Lakers’ front office signaled there wasn’t a center available who fit their price range and roster needs, needs that got only more obvious once Pelinka dealt Anthony Davis and Max Christie for Luka Doncic.
And Tuesday, as he sat next to Doncic, Pelinka pledged to address that need, while asking for patience.
But Wednesday night with the NBA’s trade deadline a little more than a half a day away, a center did appear — and there was hardly any magic involved.
The Lakers acquired 23-year-old 7-footer Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets, emptying what little was left in their asset arsenal to acquire a talented player with a history of injuries.
To get Williams, a former first-round pick, the Lakers sent rookie Dalton Knecht, a 2030 first-round pick swap and their 2031 unprotected first-round pick to the Hornets. The Lakers also included forward Cam Reddish to create a roster spot they could fill on the buyout market.
The Lakers traded Dalton Knecht, above, and Cam Reddish to Charlotte, along with two draft picks.
(Etienne Laurent / Associated Press)
According to people familiar with the deal not authorized to speak publicly, the Lakers made the move after meeting with Doncic and speaking with him about the kind of center he prefers playing with: an athletic screener and lob threat. Then the Lakers got to work on Williams’ medical history, because he’s been limited to 84 games since he was the 15th pick in the 2022 draft.
Williams missed significant time with foot, ankle and back injuries, the latter keeping him out for most of last season. According to people familiar with the transaction, the Lakers are satisfied the back problems no longer are an issue and the other injuries have been more bad luck than anything else.
So, Pelinka, once criticized for not trading the Lakers’ future first-round picks, used the two available to him in a span of five days to add a perennial 25-year-old All-NBA player in Doncic and a 23-year-old center in Williams, giving the Lakers and 40-year-old LeBron James a credible shot at title contention.
Williams has blossomed on the offensive end since moving into the starting lineup on Dec. 13, averaging 17.4 points, 10.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks while shooting 59.7% from the field and 77.4% from the free-throw line.
Last Saturday against Denver and Nikola Jokic, Williams scored 20 points and had 15 rebounds, including six offensive.
After dealing Davis, the Lakers now have Williams, Jaxson Hayes and small-ball lineups with Jarred Vanderbilt and Dorian Finney-Smith to navigate a Western Conference that includes players like Jokic, Alperen Sengun and Jaren Jackson Jr.
To get Williams,the Lakers dealt their last available first-round pick — 2031. They have the 1-4 protection on the 2027 first-rounder they dealt to Utah, though their recent trades are designed to keep them out of the lottery and vault them into contention.
In Knecht, the Lakers send their first-round pick who just came through a horrific shooting slump to score in double figures in six of their last nine games. While holding great belief in Knecht’s offensive abilities, the defensive struggles were significant enough to limit his ability to potentially contribute this spring.
The NBA trade deadline is Thursday at noon, the Lakers left with minimal options for another deal. The last remaining draft pick they have to trade is their second-round pick this year.
The Lakers play the Golden State Warriors, who just dealt for Miami forward Jimmy Butler, on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Sports
PGA Tour signals new era with axing of Hawaii events from schedule
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The PGA Tour has announced that it will not be hosting an event in Hawaii during the 2027 season, ending a 56-year run of holding a tournament in The Aloha State. The change comes as the Tour and CEO Brian Rolapp have consistently teased a revamped schedule beginning next year.
The Tour was forced to cancel The Sentry at the start of the 2026 campaign due to the dying grass on the Plantation Course at Kapalua amid a local dispute with the company responsible for delivering water to the area.
An aerial view of the golf course from over the ocean prior to The Sentry at The Plantation Course at Kapalua on December 31, 2023 in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR) (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR)
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With The Sentry being canceled, the Sony Open at Waialae Country on Oahu served as the Tour’s season opener in ‘26, which was won by Chris Gotterup. The event was in the final year of its sponsorship, although the Tour has shared that it is working toward making the event the opening event on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.
Chris Gotterup of the United States celebrates with the trophy on the 18th green after his winning round of the Sony Open in Hawaii 2026 at Waialae Country Club on January 18, 2026 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images) (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images)
The Tour’s removal of The Sentry and the Sony Open wipes out what has now turned into a traditional two-week stretch on the island to begin a new season.
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The PGA Tour did not share further details about the 2027 schedule upon its announcement about leaving Hawaii, but with Sentry reportedly being an event title-sponsor through 2035, it will need to find a new landing spot on the calendar. The logical stop would be Torrey Pines in San Diego, which checks the West Coast and great weather boxes, but the venue is also looking for a new sponsor, as its deal with Farmers Insurance ended in 2026.
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View of the 18th hole is seen during the final round of The Sentry at The Plantation Course at Kapalua on January 5, 2025 in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. (Photo by Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images) (Ben Jared/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)
The Tour’s decision not to begin next season in Hawaii makes sense, as there are plenty of venues in the lower 48 states that are much easier to operate from, but the departure will have a tremendous financial impact on the state.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that The Sentry is estimated to have a $50 million annual impact on the community, while the Sony Open directly generates an estimated $100 million in revenue per year, plus another $1 million per year to Friends of Hawaii charities.
Sports
Prep talk: Another book is out from running coach Martin Dugard
Martin Dugard is a prolific author and writer. He’s also an assistant cross-country coach at Santa Margarita after being head coach at JSerra for 15 years.
His newest book is “The Long Run,” which discusses the 1970s running boom and is a narrative history of four who sparked the marathon boom: Steve Prefontaine, Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit Samuelson and Grete Waitz.
He’s going to have a book signing on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, 26751 Aliso Creek Rd., Aliso Viejo.
Don’t be surprised if he tries to run from Rancho Santa Margarita to his book signing.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Sports
Stephen A. Smith makes brutal gaffe while talking about the Golden State Warriors
For years, Stephen A. Smith’s many football blunders have been easy enough to explain away.
He’s not an NFL guy (remember when he said the three key players for a game were three guys who weren’t playing in the game?)
Stephen A. Smith falsely claimed the Warriors haven’t made the playoffs since 2022, but Golden State reached the second round in both 2023 and 2025. (Jerome Miron/Imagn Images)
He’s definitely not a college football guy (remember when he called Jalen Milroe Jalen “Milroy” multiple times and then read the wrong stat line after a College Football Playoff game?).
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ESPN forces him into those conversations because First Take has to talk football, and Smith knows that football is the most popular sport in the country and he needs to be seen as an authority (even though he isn’t).
But Monday’s latest mistake is a lot tougher to excuse, because this time Smith wasn’t talking about the NFL or college football. He was talking about the Golden State Warriors, one of the defining NBA dynasties of the last decade.
In other words, he was talking about the sport and the league that’s supposed to be his bread and butter.
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While discussing whether Steve Kerr has coached his last game with Golden State, Smith confidently stated the Warriors “haven’t been back to the playoffs since that championship in 2022.”
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr looks on during a game against the Sacramento Kings. (Robert Edwards/Imagn Images)
That’s not even close to true. Not only did Golden State make the playoffs last season, but they also reached the postseason in 2023. Last year, the Warriors made the playoffs, beat the Rockets in seven games and advanced to the second round before losing to the Timberwolves. In 2023, they beat the Sacramento Kings in the first round and before losing to the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals.
So, Smith wouldn’t even have been right if he said they haven’t won a playoff series since 2022. But he didn’t say that. He said they didn’t make the playoffs in any of the past four years, except they did it twice.
Yikes.
This is not an obscure piece of NBA trivia that Smith could be easily forgiven for not knowing. Perhaps he was too busy playing solitaire on his phone and just missed two of the past three NBA postseasons. That’s a tough look for the guy who fancies himself as the No. 1 NBA analyst in the country.
And it’s a terrible look for ESPN, as they keep selling Smith as one of the faces of their NBA coverage.
Stephen A. Smith made a brutal gaffe while talking Warriors playoff history
If Smith made this kind of mistake while talking about the NFL, nobody would be shocked. At this point, sports fans practically expect him to butcher football analysis. It’s almost endearing that a guy with the ego of Smith can be so consistently wrong while also delivering every “fact” with the utmost confidence. It’s part of the Stephen A. experience.
But this one hits differently because the NBA is where he’s supposed to at least know the basics. This is where Smith prides himself as being an authority figure.
Stephen A. Smith incorrectly stated the Golden State Warriors haven’t made the playoffs since their 2022 championship, despite the team reaching the postseason twice since then. (Candice Ward/Imagn Images)
And yet he couldn’t keep the recent playoff history of the Warriors straight. The team whose head coach is in the news every other week. The team that has won four championships since 2014. Arguably one of the most important franchises in the NBA over the past 15 years.
Yes, Golden State missed the playoffs in 2024 after getting bounced in the Play-In Tournament (although they won 46 games that season). And yes, it fell short again this season. But that’s a lot different from acting like Steve Kerr has spent four years wandering the basketball wilderness since winning that 2022 title.
He hasn’t. In fact, the team is 175-153 in the past four regular seasons.
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The Warriors made the second round in 2023. They made the second round again in 2025.
Before burying Steve Kerr on national television, maybe Stephen A. Smith could take 10 seconds to confirm whether the Warriors were actually, you know, in the playoffs.
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