The Los Angeles Lakers missed on Jonathan Kuminga. Their next move does not have to be nearly as complicated.
One potential pivot would send Jarred Vanderbilt to the Charlotte Hornets for Grant Williams, giving Los Angeles the type of shooting power forward its roster still lacks while allowing Charlotte to continue extracting value from a trade it made more than two years ago.
Proposed Trade
Lakers receive: Grant Williams
Hornets receive: Jarred Vanderbilt, 2031 Washington Wizards second-round pick
There is no indication the Lakers and Hornets have discussed such a deal. This is a trade proposal based on Los Angeles’ roster needs and a framework permissible under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement given both teams’ current salary situations.
The Lakers would add approximately $1.84 million in salary, exchanging Vanderbilt’s roughly $12.43 million salary for Williams’ $14.27 million expiring contract. Los Angeles has enough room beneath its first-apron hard cap to accommodate the difference.
For Charlotte, the appeal would extend beyond Vanderbilt.
Grant Williams Gives Lakers Shooting, Playoff Experience
Getty LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket against Grant Williams of the Dallas Mavericks in the first half at American Airlines Center on December 12, 2023 in Dallas, Texas.
Williams would represent a different solution than Kuminga.
Los Angeles would sacrifice some athleticism and defensive versatility for shooting, strength and a potentially cleaner offensive fit alongside Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and Walker Kessler.
Williams returned Jan. 10 after recovering from a significant knee injury and appeared in 36 games last season. He averaged 7.0 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 38.8% from 3-point range.
That shooting could be particularly valuable next to Kessler.
The Lakers’ new center provides a vertical target around the basket, but pairing him with another reluctant perimeter shooter can shrink the floor for Doncic and Reaves. Williams has spent much of his career filling precisely the role Los Angeles needs — screening, spacing the floor, defending physically and operating without requiring touches.
His playoff experience with Boston adds another layer to his appeal.
The Lakers lost several key contributors from last season’s playoff rotation during their offseason overhaul, leaving less postseason experience around a reworked core. Williams has played 61 career playoff games, including a run to the 2022 NBA Finals with the Celtics, and has already shown he can handle a supporting role alongside stars in high-pressure games.
That experience could make him particularly valuable for a Lakers team still expecting to contend despite significant roster turnover.
His medical outlook would remain an important part of any evaluation. Returning for 36 games is encouraging, but Los Angeles would have to be comfortable with his knee before surrendering an asset.
Hornets Could Add Lakers Pick to PJ Washington Trade Haul
Charlotte’s incentive becomes more intriguing when Williams’ history with the Hornets is considered.
Williams arrived in Charlotte at the 2024 trade deadline as part of the deal that sent P.J. Washington to the Dallas Mavericks. The Hornets received Williams, Seth Curry and a top-two protected 2027 Dallas first-round pick in exchange for Washington and two second-round picks.
That Dallas first-rounder has become particularly interesting with the Mavericks now in rebuilding mode.
Moving Williams to Los Angeles could allow Charlotte to add another future asset to the value generated from the Washington trade. The proposed 2031 Wizards second-round pick would replenish one of the second-round assets Charlotte originally surrendered while converting Williams’ expiring contract into Vanderbilt.
Jarred Vanderbilt Gives Hornets Defensive Value
Vanderbilt could provide value beyond the accounting.
At 27, he is a proven defender and rebounder capable of guarding multiple positions. For a young Hornets roster, he could provide a reliable defensive presence without requiring shots or a prominent offensive role.
There is a cost. Vanderbilt holds a player option for 2027-28, meaning Charlotte would accept the possibility of carrying his salary for an additional season instead of simply allowing Williams’ contract to expire next summer.
The second-round pick helps compensate for that risk.
Viewed more broadly, Charlotte could emerge from its Washington deal with a potentially valuable 2027 Dallas first-round pick, another future second-rounder and a useful defensive forward in Vanderbilt, in addition to the value Williams and Curry already provided.
For Los Angeles, however, a second-round pick should be close to the ceiling.
Williams is an expiring complementary forward coming off a major knee injury, not someone for whom the Lakers should surrender premium draft capital. Los Angeles would also still need another transaction to resolve its roster surplus before opening night.
But after losing Kuminga, the Lakers do not need to manufacture another blockbuster.
They need a power forward who fits around Doncic.
Turning Vanderbilt and a second-round pick into Williams could accomplish that without mortgaging the Lakers’ future.
Lakers Proposed Trade Flips Jarred Vanderbilt for Proven Playoff Forward