Lakers Rumors: LA Insider Thinks Mark Williams Has Only Reached 60% of His Potential

The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly believe center Mark Williams is only scratching the surface of what he is capable of in the NBA.

Speaking Thursday on the NBA Today trade deadline special, ESPN's Dave McMenamin said the following about how the Lakers view Williams:

"Listen, the injury concern is valid to bring up. The Lakers believe that their new medical staff under Dr. Leroy Sims, who they hired in the offseason, can get under the hood there, get him ready to go, work on his core stabilization. I had one Lakers source tell me that he may be—Mark Williams—may be only scratching 60 percent of his potential thus far."

The Lakers addressed their frontcourt needs late Wednesday night when they acquired Williams in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets for rookie Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, an unprotected 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap.

L.A. pulled off the NBA's biggest blockbuster trade in recent memory last weekend when it sent Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris.

While Dončić is a 25-year-old offensive dynamo and arguably a top-five player in the NBA, the trade left the Lakers with a massive hole in their lineup at center.

Davis is one of the best big men in the NBA when healthy, and there was no realistic way for the Lakers to fully replace what he brought to the table.

However, the 23-year-old Williams at least gives the Lakers a highly athletic big capable of impacting the game at both ends of the floor.

The 7-footer was the No. 15 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft out of Duke, and while he has been productive when healthy, staying on the court has been a challenge.

After playing in 43 games as a rookie, Williams was limited to 19 games last season due to a back injury. So far this season Williams has played in 23 games, missing time with various injuries, including a foot ailment.

In the 23 games Williams has appeared in this season, he is averaging a career-high 15.6 points, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks to go along with 9.6 rebounds. He is also shooting an impressive 58.6 percent from the field.

Along with being a rim protector and a lengthy player capable of crashing the boards on defense, Williams is a big-time lob threat who can score effectively on the interior.

With Dončić and LeBron James leading the way, Williams won't be called upon to be a volume scorer, but if he can do the dirty work in the paint, it will go a long way toward making the Lakers top contenders in the Western Conference.

The bigger question regarding Williams relates to his durability and what he can become further down the line.

Assuming he can largely stay healthy moving forward, he and Dončić could potentially be a lethal inside-outside combo for the Lakers for many years to come.