When the Lakers made a push to acquire Hornets center Mark Williams at the trade deadline, they probably weren't picturing Rudy Gobert as the player Williams was the solution for.
The mental images probably focused on Nikola Jokic, or maybe Alperen Sengun or Ivica Zubac.
But there the Lakers were on Wednesday night, their season ending at the hands of a 27-24 night from Gobert for the Timberwolves.
It made the Williams saga loom very large.
The Lakers were actually the reason the agreed-upon deal, that sent Dalton Knecht to Charlotte, never went through.
They rescinded the deal after Williams' physical with the Lakers raised multiple medical issues for the Los Angeles medical staff.
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It's a rarely-used NBA mechanism, but the Lakers pulled the plug, and down the road now, it cost them.
The 7-foot Williams, drafted 15th overall out of Duke in 2022, could've been crucial against Gobert.
This season, Williams averaged 15.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.
He definitely would've been a clear upgrade over Jaxson Hayes, who the Lakers didn't trust to play a single second at center on Wednesday despite Gobert's success.
Instead, Williams has been home during the playoffs, far from getting the chance to make an impact on a big stage.
If the Lakers had just decided to stand firm in their trade convictions, the series with Minnesota may have looked very different.
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