AUGUST 6: The Hawks have officially signed Williams, according to a press release from the team.
AUGUST 5: After a successful late-season run with the Hawks in 2020/21, veteran guard Lou Williams has agreed to re-sign with the team on a one-year, $5MM deal, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).
Williams, a three-time winner of the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award, began the 2020/21 season with the Clippers, but was sent to Atlanta in a deadline deal involving Rajon Rondo when the Clips determined their backcourt needed more of a play-maker than a scorer.
Having spent the last three-and-a-half seasons in Los Angeles and having won two Sixth Man awards with the franchise, Williams was hit hard by the trade and admitted he contemplated retirement upon being sent to the Hawks. However, his arrival and his strong play in Atlanta helped push the team to the No. 5 seed in the East and the third round of the playoffs.
Williams averaged 10.0 PPG and 3.4 APG on .389/.444/.870 shooting in 24 regular season contests (21.0 MPG) for the Hawks, then put up 7.7 PPG and 2.2 APG on .455/.433/.963 shooting in 18 playoff games (15.4 MPG).
The Pacers, Bucks, and Heat were among the other teams linked to Williams during free agency, but a reunion with the Hawks was always viewed as a realistic possibility. While the 34-year-old won’t get the multiyear deal he’d reportedly been seeking, his $5MM salary will be nearly double the veteran’s minimum.
The Hawks had Williams’ Bird rights, so they won’t have to use cap room or a mid-level exception to re-sign him.
Great deal
Hawks don’t use $11 million cap room to steal any good free agent from other team
The free agent market is drying up fast, maybe Dennis Schroder made a mistake turning down the Lakers offer of 4-years/$84M? He’ll have to settle for MLE money.
Cap space
Mavs $15m
Hornets $15m
Spurs 11m
Thunder floor space $12m
Only Mavs makes sense if they don’t get dragic and Toronto if they trade Dragic. Also clippers or Pelicans who ever doesn’t sign Reggie Jackson .
How he turned down that extension is beyond me. His agent should be fired
Yes he did now he might not get nothing
He is prideful man. And now he will be humbled!
Cue the Magic City jokes.
Came here hoping to see some.
LouWill Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings
A-Town legend
Hawks went after Delon Wright for PG, but why not some sauce too.