Mark Williams trade rescinded: What comes next for Lakers on buyout market and in the offseason

The Lakers' present and future look drastically different without Williams

The Los Angeles Lakers tried to thread the needle between present and future when they traded for Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams. In the long run, they thought they'd found the big man they'd pair with Luka Doncic for the next decade. In the short term, however, they were just happy to have a warm body of a certain height. Center was a position of need for the Lakers even with Anthony Davis on the team (he told us so himself).

But with the Williams trade now rescinded, reportedly due to a failed physical, the Lakers are thinner up front than ever. Davis is gone and his replacement isn't coming aboard either. That leaves the Lakers with Jaxson Hayes as the only clear center on the team. Maxi Kleber, acquired in the Doncic trade, has played some center in small doses, but is really more of a forward and is out for at least the next eight weeks. Trey Jemison and Christian Koloko are there on two-way deals, but neither has proven much. The cabinet is pretty empty here.

So what does this mean? Where do the Lakers go from here, both for the remainder of the season and for the long haul? Let's dive in and try to sift through the wreckage of this trade.