Lou Williams was on the trade block with just one day before the trade deadline but it appears that he will stay in Los Angeles for the long term. Now it appears that Williams might be the one piece that the franchise never had any intention of trading. Williams has signed a three-year deal to stay with the Clippers.
Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports was the first to report the news:
Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams has agreed to a three-year contract extension, league sources tell Yahoo.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 7, 2018
The terms of the deal will include a team option for the third-year of his new extension. Williams made $7 million in the final year of his contract for this year. His new deal is worth worth $24 million over three years. Williams now gets a bump up to $8 million per season heading into next season.
Williams, 31, is having another great season as prolific bench scorer off the bench. As one of the best 6th men in the history of the game, Williams provides value to virtually any team. Williams is averaging 23.3 points, 5.7 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game this season. Williams is also knocking down the outside shot with success at 38 percent on the season. During his 13-year career, Williams has played for the 76ers, Raptors, Hawks, Lakers, Rockets, and Clippers
With Williams on board for the long haul, LA will likely now try to move DeAndre Jordan and Avery Bradley to add to their potential draft assets this summer. If the team could have fetched a first rounder for Williams, it’s possible Williams would have been on the move as well. It’s time for the Clippers to turn to the future after the franchise-altering trade of Blake Griffin.
