The Los Angeles Clippers have made it “widely known” that guard Lou Williams can be acquired before the NBA trade deadline, according to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report.
The Clippers moving on from the veteran guard via trade would be a mistake.
It has been an underwhelming start to the 2020-21 NBA season for Williams. The 11.0 points per game he's putting forth on a nightly basis is his lowest scoring output in seven seasons. If there's one bright spot for the 34-year-old it's that he's shooting a career-best 39.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Williams is a free agent after this season, opening the door for the Clippers to move him for value as they have a handful of players making significant and/or top-tier money (Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Marcus Morris Sr., and Luke Kennard).
In theory, the above aspects of Williams' situation merit a trade from the Clippers' standpoint. In reality, moving him sets them back.
Lou Williams is an offensive assassin. He has the skill set and confidence to be a leading catalyst for an offense (he was the team's top scorer in the 2018-19 NBA playoffs) and be a jolt off the bench (Williams thrived as a secondary source of offense last season). Williams shoots well off the dribble, can spot up from distance, and is capable of getting to the rim.
Across his 243 games with the Clippers (2017-21) Williams has averaged 19.5 points per game while shooting 36.0 percent from beyond the arc.
What could president Lawrence Frank and the Clippers get for the guard that would compel them to pull the trigger on a trade? Williams is 34, off to a tedious start, a soon-to-be free agent, and the organization is supposedly letting it be known that they want to move him. That combination doesn't exactly scream “wow, I want to trade a first-round pick and a rotation player for that!”
In all likelihood, the Clippers are staring at a return along the lines of a pair of second-round draft picks and an expiring contract or a young player looking for direction and a future second-rounder. Neither of those returns is moving the needle for their program. Even if the Clippers feel Williams' best/highly productive days are behind him, he'll never be as productive as he is in the present. Squeeze what you can out of him this season and move on in free agency, if need be.
By the way, if the Clippers are truly hellbent on moving Williams because they want the draft compensation and have players in the building who they feel are viable options to replace him, what happens if the teams pursuing him and/or make the top bid are in the Western Conference?
Of course, the Clippers will still be a considerable threat in the West without Williams, but they could be upgrading a team they're competing with, as well as giving them an inside track into their tendencies (Williams could spill the beans on individuals in Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue's rotation).
Leonard and George are the impetus of this team. Williams is a backbone element of this team. He has played with accomplished veterans like Leonard and George and several youngsters like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Montrezl Harrell. No team can win a championship with just two scorers.
While fellow Western Conference contenders like the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and Portland Trail Blazers have big twos, if you will, they also have a handful of other capable scorers. Who are the proven scorers on the Clippers outside of Leonard and George? It's Lou Williams.
What happens if one of the aforementioned players suffer an injury that sidelines them for an extended period of time? The Clippers will need players to step up and take on the burden of being a high-leverage scorer, especially in the playoffs.
Morris is a gritty player, but he has been used more as a role player than a go-to isolation player. Meanwhile, Kennard, Serge Ibaka, and Patrick Beverley aren't overly assertive with the ball in their hands.
The Clippers are a talented bunch but one that needs everyone to answer the bell. They all have a role, and Williams plays a vital role in their operation. The organization is also all in on this team.
One could argue that the roster the Clippers have in the present is the most talented team they'll have in the Leonard-George era. How many assets do they have to make a blockbuster trade down the road? It's a predominantly veteran roster. Oh, and the Clippers traded five first-round draft selections, two first-round pick swaps, a budding star and former first-rounder in Gilgeous-Alexander, and Danilo Gallinari to get George.
They're all in and then some with this core.
This Los Angeles Clippers team was established to win an NBA championship, a goal that becomes more difficult without Lou Williams.
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