3 years, $38 million! Sudden labral tear! The big center the Lakers returned

In 2025, the Lakers returning Williams might really be the right call...

This guy played for the Suns last season, appearing in a career-high 60 regular-season games, averaging 23.6 minutes and contributing 11.7 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist per game with a shooting percentage of 64.4%. Although he missed the entire playoffs this year due to a left leg injury, he still received a 3-year, $38 million extension contract in the offseason,However, it was recently revealed that he underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and is expected to be sidelined for up to five months.

As the 15th pick in the first round of the 2022 draft, the 24-year-old Williams stands 2.16m tall with a 2.29m wingspan. In his four-year NBA career so far, he has only played a total of 166 regular-season games and has never appeared in the playoffs, averaging fewer than 42 games per season. Being injury-prone at such a young age, his injury problems may only get worse in the future.

In short, it is not an exaggeration to say that the Lakers dodged a bullet by giving up on Williams. The Purple and Gold front office scored big this time.

Since Williams will be sidelined for a long time, the 10th pick in the first round of the 2025 draft, Maluach, is expected to directly step into the starting position. His rookie season, like that of his good friend Yang Hanshen (Trail Blazers, 16th pick in the 2025 first round), was mostly spent as a fringe player on the team. His stats are as follows:

Regular season: averages of 8.9 minutes, 3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and a 53.3% field goal percentage;

Playoffs: averages of 11.3 minutes, 2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and a 50% field goal percentage.

Maluach appears to have evolved through a summer of hard work, becoming a center who fits the modern basketball philosophy,He performed excellently in this year's NBA Summer League, averaging 27.4 minutes, scoring 19.5 points, grabbing 12.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 2 blocks per game, with a shooting percentage of 53.2%, and making 2 three-pointers per game at a 40% clip.

By the way, Maluach is only 19 years old, but he is about to turn 20. He stands 2.16m tall with a 2.31m wingspan. His physical attributes, both static and dynamic, are excellent. As long as he stays healthy, he has great potential to have a long-term career in the NBA.