Luka Doncic and Mark Williams are two very different players acquired by the Lakers ahead of Thursday’s deadline.

One is a generational talent at guard, viewed as a top-five player in the league that, in most cases, would be untouchable. The other is an up-and-coming center who is incredibly mobile but has a history of injuries that may be a concern. 

Surely, the return for the teams sending Los Angeles those players would be vastly contrasting, right? You may have to think again. 

With the Lakers completing the deals for Doncic with the Mavericks and Williams with the Hornets, it has NBA fans comparing the cost for the two newest members of the gold and purple. While the two trades differed, they weren’t as far apart as hoop fans expected, leading to plenty of stunned reactions. 

Here’s more on what it cost the Lakers to bring in Doncic compared to Williams. 

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Luka Doncic vs. Mark Williams trades

Luka Doncic trade details

Lakers receive:

• Luka Doncic
• Maxi Kleber
• Markieff Morris

Mavericks receive:

• Anthony Davis
• Max Christie
• 2029 first-round pick (Lakers)

Jazz receive:

• Jalen Hood-Schifino
• 2025 second-round pick (Mavericks)
• 2025 second-round pick (via Clippers)

MORE: Did Lakers or Mavericks win Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade?

Mark Williams trade details

Lakers receive:

Hornets receive:

• Dalton Knecht
• Cam Reddish
• 2031 unprotected first-round pick
• 2030 pick swap

MORE: Did Lakers or Hornets win Mark Williams-Dalton Knecht trade?

When it comes to the Doncic deal, the consensus was unanimous across the board: Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka embarrassed Mavericks GM Nico Harrison in an ungodly fashion. The Sporting News’ Stephen Noh referred to it as “nothing short of highway robbery” as Los Angeles was able to bring in Doncic for the small price of Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick in 2029. 

There’s no denying that the Mavs got fleeced. A player of Doncic’s caliber should garner a multitude of picks and young prospects. The Knicks were required to give up four first-round picks to the Nets this past summer for Mikal Bridges — an elite player, but one that pales in comparison to Doncic. 

So already, the Doncic deal had Dallas fans seething while the Los Angeles faithful jumped for joy. It got worse when the Lakers traded for Williams. 

MORE: Meet Lakers acquisition brought in to help Luka Doncic

The 23-year-old center cost the Lakers rookie first-round pick Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish, a 2031 first-round pick and a 2030 pick swap. That’s more draft capital than the Mavericks received for an MVP-worthy superstar. 

Sure, Davis holds a far higher value than both Knecht and Reddish combined. The elite big is a defensive monster, but he also is a month away from turning 32 years old and has a history of injuries. In three years, who knows what kind of player Davis will be. Meanwhile, Knecht is just 23 years old and has shown plenty of promise in his first season in the NBA. 

For the Lakers, it’s hard to complain about sending out just three draft picks, two bench players and an aging top-15 player when you get a 25-year-old, established top-five player and a promising starting center, albeit with injury concerns, in return. That’s how you do business. 

As for Dallas, the fact that the Hornets were the one to end up with Knecht and two draft picks — not the Mavs — is abysmal on Harrison’s part and a tidy piece of work by Charlotte GM Jeff Peterson. 

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