Lou Williams Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Finalists For NBA Awards Announced

May 16th, 2018 at 7:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

The top three finalists for each of this year’s NBA awards are being released on tonight’s TNT pre-game show. The trophies will be presented June 25 at the league’s official awards show.

Here’s an ongoing list that we will update as the candidates are announced, along with links to our staff’s picks for each honor:

Rookie of the Year

Donovan Mitchell (Jazz)
Ben Simmons (Sixers)
Jayson Tatum (Celtics

Hoops Rumors Analysis: ROY

Most Improved Player

Clint Capela (Rockets)
Spencer Dinwiddie (Nets)
Victor Oladipo (Pacers)

Hoops Rumors Analysis: MIP

Sixth Man of the Year

Eric Gordon (Rockets)
Fred VanVleet (Raptors)
Lou Williams (Clippers)

Hoops Rumors Analysis: Sixth Man

Coach of the Year

Dwane Casey (Raptors)
Quin Snyder (Jazz)
Brad Stevens (Celtics)

Hoops Rumors Analysis: COY

Defensive Player of the Year

Anthony Davis (Pelicans)
Rudy Gobert (Jazz)
Joel Embiid (Sixers)

Hoops Rumors Analysis: DPOY

Most Valuable Player

Anthony Davis (Pelicans)
James Harden (Rockets)
LeBron James (Cavaliers)

Hoops Rumors Analysis: MVP

Grizzlies Notes: Evans, Chalmers, Bickerstaff

May 2nd, 2018 at 9:07pm CST by clarkcrum

Throughout the entire second-half of the 2017/18 NBA season (i.e. after the trade deadline), the Grizzlies have maintained that they plan to re-sign guard Tyreke Evans to a new deal this summer, most likely with an offer for the non-taxpayer mid-level exception worth an estimated $8.6MM for the 2018/19 season.

This is because the Grizzlies only possess Non-Bird Rights on Evans, meaning the most they could pay him next season without the MLE or cap room is $3.948MM, 120% more than the $3.29MM he made this season.

And while the optimism in Memphis has not yet publicly waned, Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com writes that general manager Chris Wallace didn’t sound as convincing after the season that a successful pitch would be made to Evans in free agency as he did when he said the same thing after Evans was retained at the trade deadline.

As Wallace points out, Evans is unfortunately probably just as likely to sign a deal similar to Lou Williams – which would fit under the MLE – as he is to signing a one-year, high-paying contract, a la Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, for a team looking to clear cap space for the summer of 2019.

There’s more out of Memphis:

In another article for Grizzlies.com, Wallace focuses on veteran Mario Chalmers‘ pending free agency, writing that the soon to be 32-year-old point guard is likely only to return to the Grizzlies, if at all, as an end-of-free-agency option, likely on another minimum-salary contract.
New head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has not yet made any decisions on who he plans to hire onto his coaching staff, tweets Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. Bickerstaff was just yesterday officially named head coach.
In a full article for The Commercial Appeal, Tillery reports that franchise cornerstone Marc Gasol is pleased with the hiring of Bickerstaff. “J.B. deserves a real shot at this without any restrictions,” Gasol said. “He has earned it… He’s always so positive. He always helps me understand, ‘Do your job. Control what you can control and the rest will take care of itself.’ Our communication has been really good. We’re both going in the same direction. And that’s important.” Both Gasol and Mike Conley were known supporters of Bickerstaff, so Gasol’s contentment should come as no surprise.

Los Angeles Notes: Thomas, Cap Space, Williams

February 10th, 2018 at 9:31am CST by marksuleymanov

Isaiah Thomas was traded from the Cavaliers to the Lakers on Thursday, ending a tumultuous 15-game run in Cleveland. Coming off a serious hip injury, Thomas’ MVP-caliber performance from Boston disappeared and his public and private comments during the Cavs’ slump contributed to turmoil in the locker room.

Sean Deveney of Sporting News examines Thomas’ value as he heads for unrestricted free agency in the summer. Thomas was legitimately a top-five player in the league with the Celtics who did not mince words about wanting a maximum deal once he hits the market. Now that he’s gone from Cleveland, Thomas lost the chance of the Cavaliers using Bird rights to sign him to a max contract. Instead, he is unlikely to stay in Los Angeles and one general manager told Deveney before the trade that Thomas’ chances at a max deal are unlikely.

“It’s a tough position because he has certain expectations but it’s hard to see where he could have those expectations met,” the GM said. “He is going to be disappointed, a lot, if he is not with Cleveland but still thinks he is getting a max deal out there. The money is just not there.”

Check out other Lakers news below:

Thomas’ agent Aaron Goodwin spoke to USA Today’s Sam Amick after his client was dealt on Thursday. Goodwin made it clear that Thomas worked hard to get back to health with the Cavs and wanted it to work out. However, Goodwin insisted that Thomas does not want to come off the bench in Los Angeles and wants to prove he is still an impactful player. Per ESPN’s Chris Haynes and Ohm Youngmisuk, Thomas will come off the bench for the Lakers in his debut on Saturday. However, sources tell Haynes and Youngmisuk that the plan is for Thomas to eventually start.
ESPN Insider’s Bobby Marks (subscription required and recommended) examined the Lakers’ healthy salary cap entering this summer and beyond. Shedding the contracts of Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. gives the Lakers enough cap space this summer for two elite free agents. However, Marks also looks at the possibility of the team being patient and waiting for summer 2019 to avoid another situation of Timofey Mozgov and Luol Deng.
Lou Williams signed a three-year extension with the Clippers before the deadline, ending any rumors he would be dealt. After suiting up for four teams in four years, Williams was happy with the Clippers and wanted a sense of stability, tweets Bobby Marks of ESPN.

Clippers Sign Lou Williams To Contract Extension

February 7th, 2018 at 2:55pm CST by Luke Adams

2:55pm: Williams’ three-year extension will be worth $8MM annually, with a $1.5MM partial guarantee on the third year, per Mark Deeks of GiveMeSport (Twitter links). The partial guarantee on that final year can increase if Williams hits certain performance incentives, says Deeks. As expected, those terms will make Williams ineligible to be traded this week.

Williams’ deal is now official.

12:12pm: The Clippers and veteran guard Lou Williams have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension, league sources tell Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune first reported (via Twitter) that the Clips planned to finalize Williams’ extension before today’s practice. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski adds that the deal will include a third-year team option, while TNT’s David Aldridge suggests there’s a partial guarantee on that third year (Twitter links).

Salary details aren’t yet known, but Williams would be eligible to receive up to about $30.3MM for three new years. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told Sam Amick of USA Today earlier today that a deal may end up closer to about $8.5MM annually.

Late last night, Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst broke the news that Williams and the Clippers were making progress toward a new contract, suggesting that teams with interest in trading for the 31-year-old were becoming “increasingly resigned” to the fact that he may not be available.

A contract extension on its own doesn’t make a player ineligible to be traded, but NBA rules will prevent Williams from being dealt for the next six months if he signs an extension that adds three new years to his current contract, or includes a raise of more than 5%. It appears that Lou Will’s extension will fit that bill, which would mean he’ll stay put at Thursday’s deadline. Even if Williams retains his trade eligibility, his agreement with the Clippers looks like a signal that he’s part of the team’s long-term plans.

Long regarded as one of the NBA’s most dangerous bench scorers, Williams has taken his game to another level since joining the Clippers in last June’s Chris Paul trade with the Rockets. In 51 games (14 starts) so far this season, the former second-round pick has put up 23.3 PPG and 5.3 APG with a shooting line of .439/.380/.900. He had been in the final year of his contract, earning a $7MM salary.

The timing of the move is interesting for the Clippers, who just cleared a considerable amount of long-term salary from their books last week by sending Blake Griffin to Detroit. There had been speculation that the front office was looking to create cap room to pursue free agents in the summer of 2019, or perhaps even 2018. Williams’ new deal figures to reduce the team’s spending flexibility.

After locking up Williams, the Clippers figure to continue exploring the trade market for deals involving some of their other veterans. As Charania notes within his report, DeAndre Jordan and Avery Bradley are both viewed as trade candidates.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Clippers, Lou Williams Make Progress On Extension

February 7th, 2018 at 9:46am CST by Luke Adams

9:46am: If the Clippers and Williams reach an extension agreement, it would likely be a two- or three-year deal worth about $8.5MM annually, a person with knowledge of the negotiations tells Sam Amick of USA Today.

7:50am: With the trade deadline just a day away, the Clippers and Lou Williams are engaged in discussions about a contract extension, and those talks have “gathered significant momentum,” according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst.

There’s a growing possibility that the Clippers will reach a new deal with Williams in advance of Thursday’s trade deadline, and rival teams with interest in the veteran guard have become “increasingly resigned” to the fact that he may not be available, league sources tell Wojnarowski and Windhorst.

February 8 isn’t the deadline for the Clippers and Williams to agree on an extension — the two sides have until June 30 to hammer out a new deal and avoid having Lou Will hit the open market in July. However, Thursday’s trade deadline serves as a sort of de facto extension deadline. If the Clips lock up Williams by then, he won’t be moved, but if the two sides can’t reach an extension agreement, the odds of a trade would increase.

Changes to the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement made Williams extension-eligible this season, and allow for a deal comparable to the ones signed by Norman Powell and Josh Richardson in the fall. Those extensions are worth nearly $42MM over four years, starting at $9.37MM in 2018/19 and increasing to $11.62MM by 2021/22.

While it’s not clear if the Clippers are willing to offer the full amount allowable, an extension of that nature would be worth more than the mid-level exception, and would be a nice payday for a 31-year-old who has never earned a higher salary than the $7MM he’s making this season. Williams has earned a raise with his play in 2017/18, averaging 23.3 PPG and 5.3 APG with a .439/.380/.900 shooting line.

Williams and Tyreke Evans, who are both enjoying career years on expiring contracts, have been cited most frequently as trade candidates coveted by contenders looking for an added scoring punch. If Williams stays put through the deadline, that’s probably good news for the Grizzlies, who could perhaps extract a little more value in exchange for Evans.

Northwest Rumors: Evans, Ingles, Chandler

February 6th, 2018 at 5:56pm CST by Austin Kent

As the February 8 trade deadline draws closer, it doesn’t take long to hear new whispers about who might be moved and where. In a preview of the big day, Sports Illustrated’s Jake Fischer ran through some of the dominoes that he thinks are yet to fall.

Here are some Northwest Division rumors from that SI piece and more:

As we’re all aware of by now, Tyreke Evans and Lou Williams are on the block. One team that could emerge as a suitor for both is Minnesota, Fischer writes. The Timberwolves won’t be the only club looking to add the two talented wings, however.
Another thing from the Fischer piece is that he says the Jazz consider Joe Ingles untouchable. We documented earlier that Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert aren’t for sale but this is the first time that that the 30-year-old Aussie has come up as off limits.
Finally, the Sports Illustrated feature pins, in addition to the usual suspects, Wilson Chandler as a buyout candidate. Chandler has a $12.8MM player option for 2018/19 so it would be a dramatic move by the Nuggets but stranger things have happened.
The Jazz, winners of six straight, are playing well enough of late to beg the question; should they make a move at all? Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune writes that Derrick Favors is one well-documented possible trade chip who’s played a major role in Utah returning to their winning ways.

Latest On Thunder’s Search For Wing Help

February 6th, 2018 at 2:10pm CST by Luke Adams

With Andre Roberson sidelined for the rest of the season, the Thunder are on the lookout for help on the wing. With less than 48 hours left until the arrival of this year’s trade deadline, let’s check in on the latest reports on OKC’s options…

There’s a “growing expectation” that the Thunder will make a move in advance of the trade deadline, since there’s a lot riding on this season, says ESPN’s Royce Young. Oklahoma City would prefer not to give up rookie Terrance Ferguson in a deal for a veteran rental though, Young adds.
TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link) identifies Maurice Harkless and Tony Allen as two potential targets to watch for the Thunder. Harkless would be an interesting fit, though it may be difficult for the Trail Blazers and Thunder to figure out a deal, since both teams are projected taxpayers and will be reluctant to add salary. As for Allen, Aldridge tweets that the veteran swingman has been cleared to play after recovering from his broken leg, but will need some time to get back to full speed.
The Thunder have done “due diligence” on Clippers guard Avery Bradley and Magic swingman Jonathon Simmons, per Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports. Mannix suggests that the Thunder might wait until closer to the deadline in the hopes that teams’ asking prices come down, noting that they could also wait until after the deadline and take their chances on what’s expected to be a “robust” buyout market.
Within his trade deadline preview, Jake Fischer of SI.com writes that the Thunder have shown interest in Clippers guard Lou Williams and expressed “serious” interest in Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans.
Oklahoma City has also been linked to Rodney Hood.

Mannix’s Latest: G. Hill, Hornets, Hawks, Suns

February 6th, 2018 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers continue to engage the Kings about a possible George Hill trade, sources tell Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports. However, the Cavs would like to include both J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert in their package for Hill, and taking on multiple expensive non-expiring contracts doesn’t appeal to Sacramento. Meanwhile, the Kings are quietly looking to get a third team involved in a potential deal, according to Mannix.

Mannix’s latest trade rumor roundup features several more tidbits of interest related to Thursday’s deadline, so we’ll pass along the highlights…

The future of GM Rich Cho in Charlotte is uncertain, which may complicate the Hornets‘ deadline plans. According to Mannix, there are rumblings about former Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak being a candidate to join the Hornets’ front office in the offseason. Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times wrote last week that Kupchak is considered likely to be hired by an Eastern Conference team this summer.
Some teams with interest in Marcus Smart view the Celtics‘ asking price of a first-round pick as “unrealistic,” says Mannix.
The Hawks have made “everyone” available, and while much has been written about the club’s veteran trade candidates, second-year swingman Taurean Prince is another player who has drawn interest, according to Mannix.
The Magic have shopped Mario Hezonja “hard” in recent days, per Mannix.
According to Mannix, the Suns are willing to move veterans like Tyson Chandler and Jared Dudley. Neither player’s contract is particularly team-friendly though, so it may be tough for Phoenix to find any value.
The Clippers say they’re okay with holding onto DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams through the deadline, but rival clubs are skeptical, says Mannix.

Celtics, Nuggets, Sixers, Heat Remain In Mix For Evans

February 6th, 2018 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics, Nuggets, and Sixers appear to be the current frontrunners to acquire Tyreke Evans from the Grizzlies, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Wojnarowski, the Heat have also remained engaged on Evans.

Evans, 28, has been enjoying one of the best years of his NBA career in Memphis this season, averaging 19.5 PPG, 5.0 APG, and 5.0 RPG with a .458/.392/.799 shooting line so far. Based on his terrific production, the Grizzlies are said to be seeking a first-round pick in any deal and are currently holding Evans out of their lineup as they consider their options.

It makes sense that the Celtics, Nuggets, and Sixers would have a leg up on Miami in the pursuit of Evans, since the earliest first-rounder the Heat can trade is their 2023 pick. Denver still has all of its future first-round picks, while Boston and Philadelphia are owed at least one extra first-rounder in addition to holding all of their own. If the Heat want to make a play for Evans, their offer would likely have to include former lottery selection Justise Winslow.

While it remains to be seen what sort of package each team is willing to offer for Evans, Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link) hears that the Celtics’ reported hunt for a first-round pick in exchange for Marcus Smart is related to their interest in Evans and Lou Williams. Landing a first-rounder for Smart would allow the C’s to flip that pick – or their own first-rounder – to Memphis for Evans or to the Clippers for Williams, Stein notes.

For now though, the Celtics remain reluctant to include a first-round pick in an offer for a player on an expiring contract, preferring to save those selections for a “more seismic” deal, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe, who classifies Boston’s interest in Williams as “lukewarm.”

Celtics Reportedly Pursuing Williams, Evans

February 3rd, 2018 at 11:01am CST by marksuleymanov

The Celtics reached an agreement with center Greg Monroe on a one-year, $5MM pact on Friday but the team is not done searching for scoring options off the bench, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reports.

Citing two Western Conference sources, Bulpett writes that the Celtics’ top two targets are Lou Williams and Tyreke Evans. The Grizzlies are currently sitting Evans until the deadline; Williams continues to score at will, posting at least 20 points in his past six games for the Clippers.

As the Celtics seek upgrades, however, general manager Danny Ainge is not budging from paying his desired price. The Grizzlies are reportedly seeking a first-round pick for Evans and it’s safe to assume Williams, who is averaging a career-high 23.5 PPG, will command a similar return.

Bulpett notes that the Celtics are being cautious with their pursuit of wing players as they do not want Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum to lose playing time.