As part of a report that was issued earlier this week, Marc Stein of The New York Times noted that several rival teams are expecting the Los Angeles Clippers to trade shooting guard Lou Williams ahead of the 2020-21 season
Williams has been a force off the bench for a long time, and there would indeed be teams interested in his services — if he's available. As a three-time Sixth Man of the Year, he's known for his quick-strike scoring binges off the bench, and he also brings a bit of playmaking to the table.
Lou is coming off a fine year with the Clippers. In his 65 appearances during the 2019-20 regular season (eight starts), the streaky shooter turned in averages of 18.2 points on 41.8 percent shooting from the field (35.3 percent from beyond the arc), 5.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds.
Exactly where Williams might land is still up for debate, but we're here to highlight four teams that might be suitable destinations.
4. Sixers
It would be a homecoming of sorts if Lou Williams were to join the Sixers, as he spent the early portion of his career with the team. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid would still get the majority of touches, but Williams could provide a spark from the bench.
Philly has several shooting guards on its roster already, including Shake Milton, Matisse Thybulle and Furkan Korkmaz. These are viable options at the position, but most would agree that Williams would be an upgrade, at least in the scoring department.
It's also worth noting that the Sixers picked up Danny Green this offseason. Williams wouldn't be a bad backup in this scenario.
The Sixers finished the 2019-20 regular season with a 43-30 overall record, which earned the team a No. 6 seed in the playoffs. Unfortunately, though, Philly was swept by the Boston Celtics in the opening round.
3. Magic
The Magic are a team that could use some help on the perimeter, and that's exactly what Lou Williams could provide. Orlando is solid in the frontcourt, with Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Mo Bamba running the paint. At guard, however, the leading men are Markelle Fultz and Evan Fournier.
Other guards on the Magic's roster include Terrence Ross, Dwayne Bacon and Michael Carter-Williams. Ross turned in 14.7 points per game off the bench last season, which is good. Still, it might behoove the Magic to take a look at Lou Williams for an upgrade in the background.
2. Celtics
Boston would be an intriguing destination for Lou Williams. Obviously, the Celtics have Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown holding down the fort as scorers, with Marcus Smart also providing a boost. But with the departure of Gordon Hayward, who is heading to the Charlotte Hornets on a reported four-year deal, the Celtics could use a bit more bench scoring on the perimeter.
The Celtics recently signed Jeff Teague, which should help in this department. He joins a stable of young guards, including Romeo Langford, Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard, among others. If Boston is looking for another veteran to come off the bench, Lou Williams should be on their radar.
1. Warriors
The Warriors were hoping to have The Splash Brothers back in action for the start of the 2019-20 regular season, but those hopes were dashed when Klay Thompson suffered a ruptured Achilles during a pickup game in the Los Angeles area earlier this month. It will be the second straight season that Thompson has missed due to injury. He sat out the entire 2019-20 season after tearing the ACL in his left knee during Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals.
In a bit of a scramble to find a suitable replacement, the Warriors made a trade for Kelly Oubre Jr. This acquisition helps to patch the proverbial hole that was left by Thompson's injury, but will it be enough to help the team reach the postseason? The jury is still out.
The Warriors picked up Nico Mannion, a 6-3 playmaker out of Arizona, with the 48th overall pick this year's draft. By most accounts, this was a solid move for the Dubs, but his talent is unproven in the NBA. Frankly, the team could use a veteran presence like Lou Williams on its roster. Oubre and Andrew Wiggins have the size needed to play both positions on the wing. Williams could provide a break for either of these two players when needed.
In the end, it's probably safe to say that several teams would be interested in acquiring Lou Williams. For now, though, we'll have to wait and see where he'll be playing in the coming season.
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