The available players on the trade market are not top tier, a consequence of free agency allowing so many upgrades every year under the current collective bargaining agreement. But one player who has apparently generated a fair amount of interest is Los Angeles Lakers guard Lou Williams.
A former Sixth Man of the Year, Williams can operate as a combo guard off the bench, making him an attractive option for several playoff contenders.
- For starters, the Wizards are looking at him. That makes sense, since Washington’s bench has, for the most part, been a trash can, on fire, rolling down a gently-sloped hill. Williams’ defense is an issue, but the Wizards really just need a player to make sure the bench doesn’t relinquish a lead.
- ESPN reports that the Jazz are also interested. They’ve been struggling in the backcourt with Dante Exum having regressed in a big way. Williams would give their offense, 12th in the league in efficiency but subject to occasional stalling, a boost. Their defensive scheme could cover his deficiencies.
As for what the Lakers would want, their starting asking price likely would be a first-round pick, but Williams probably won’t generate that, at least not in the lottery. But the Lakers probably could find a discount young player to fill in the gap, and teams like the Kings and Suns have such players available.
Williams is averaging 18.6 points and shooting 39 percent from 3-point range. The Lakers are 11.2 points worse in net points per 100 possessions with Williams on the bench. Then again, they need to tank to the bottom of the ocean to avoid giving the Sixers their first-round pick, so that might not be a bad thing. We’ll see if a market stabilizes for Williams or if he’s just the default combo guard every team is kicking the tires on ahead of Thursday’s deadline.
