The Lakers will open a roster spot after the trade is official.

Williams, who was drafted with the No. 15 pick out of Duke in 2022, is averaging 16 points (59.7% shooting), 9.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocked shots in his third NBA season.

He’s averaged 11.7 points (62.6% shooting), 8.4 rebounds, 1.1 blocked shots and 1.1 assists for his career.

Williams fits the big man archetype that’s thrived alongside Doncic: an athletic and mobile lob threat who can make his presence felt at the rim on both ends of the floor.

And at 23 years old, he fits the Lakers’ long-term goal of adding players who can contribute now while also fitting Doncic’s timeline.

The Lakers drafted Knecht with the No. 17 pick in last June’s draft.

Doncic debut

Doncic’s Lakers debut won’t be tonight.

The highly anticipated debut of Doncic in a Lakers uniform will have to wait, at least for a couple of days, as he works his way back from a strained left calf injury that has sidelined him for nearly 1½ months.

Coach JJ Redick said Doncic participated in Wednesday’s practice, which was a non-contact session. Doncic has been sidelined with the calf injury since Dec. 25 but there’s hope he could return in Saturday afternoon’s home game against the Indiana Pacers.

ESPN announced on Wednesday that it will broadcast Saturday’s game in anticipation of Doncic’s debut.

Doncic was scheduled to play in a 5-on-5 scrimmage involving the team’s “stay-ready” group on Wednesday.

“We’re kind of just assessing it day-by-day,” Redick said. “We hope to have him back within the next few games. He’ll have a stay-ready game at some point. And over the next two days, Thursday, Friday, he’ll have some more opportunities to play live basketball. And then we’ll make a decision on Saturday.

“If it’s not Saturday, hopefully it’s Monday. But again, those decisions (about) Saturday will be made on Saturday.”

The Lakers (29-19) enter today’s home game against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena having won seven of their past eight games — including six by double digits — and nine of their last 11 ahead after going 5-1 on their Grammy road trip.

“We’ve been trending in the right direction, adding a guy like that, it’s gonna make it so much easier for us, especially on the offensive end,” forward Dorian Finney-Smith said after Wednesday’s practice, the team’s first since acquiring Doncic. “We got LD and LeBron (James), they’re gonna draw so much attention. It’s gonna make it real easy for guys like me, who just gotta catch and shoot and defend. It’s gonna be a lot of (opportunities) out there.”