In the attempt to put the ‘T’ in tank, the Los Angeles Lakers flirted with the thought of shopping Lou Williams. Emerging has a huge sixth-man candidate, the Lakers knew they could get something for him while staying closer to keeping their upcoming draft pick. Well, a trade ended up happening, sending Lou Williams to the Houston Rockets in return for Corey Brewer and a 1st round pick. It was a trade that worked out great for both sides and surprisingly, it was sparked by James Harden himself (via The Vertical).
“When James called, he asked me if I was interested in playing with them,” Williams told The Vertical. “I told him that I loved the Lakers, but James and them have a group that fit my personality, fit how I play. He said he was going to make it happen.”
Williams then laughed, sitting on the edge of a visiting court following a recent practice. “I’ve heard that before, so I didn’t really put stock into it,” Williams told The Vertical. “I guess James did put the word in, and the team made it happen.”
I applaud Harden for stepping in on this trade because I believe he made the right decision. Lou Williams is a guy that can help them NOW. Many questioned whether Harden and Williams could coincide but that didn’t matter being that most of Williams minutes would come off the bench.
He added another scoring threat to a dynamic bench led by Eric Gordon. If James Harden wasn’t enough, now teams have to worry about Gordon and Williams coming at them full speed with the second unit. Also, what makes him so dynamic is that the Rockets can plug him in alongside Harden. Williams is a capable outside shooter who can knock down open jumpers off of Harden drives. There’s no doubt in my mind that he can thrive in that role only if he’s willing to do so. The Houston Rockets were already a threat but I believe they made themselves even more of a threat with the trade for Lou Williams.
