NBA Rumors: Milwaukee Bucks among teams expected to pursue veteran Lou Williams in free agency
The 2021 NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks are looking to make early moves in the offseason, with the latest NBA rumors suggesting they are expected to pursue Lou Williams in free agency.
Williams had a decent campaign with the Atlanta Hawks last season after getting traded by the LA Clippers in exchange for Rajon Rondo. His stint with the Hawks saw him take a U-turn on his potential decision to retire from the game.
As per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Hawks and Lou Williams have a mutual interest in continuing their partnership for next season amid interest from the Bucks and Indiana Pacers. Here's what he said:
"While Lou Williams and the Atlanta Hawks have expressed a mutual desire for a return, other Eastern Conference teams, including the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks, are expected to pursue the three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner, league sources told HoopsHype."
Lou Williams averaged 11.3 points and 3.4 assists per game on a 40% clip shooting from the three-point line in the 2020-21 NBA season. He played 42 games for the Clippers and 24 for the Hawks.
NBA Rumors: How can Lou Williams help the Milwaukee Bucks?
The Milwaukee Bucks are strangled for cap space and can only offer the taxpayer-mid-level exception ($5.9 million) and veteran minimum contracts to free agents. They need to fill roster spots, and with Bryn Forbes likely to depart, they will need another guard to offer them some backcourt depth.
Lou Williams will sort out the Milwaukee Bucks' guard depth issue and also provide them with some scoring off the bench. He is a terrific shooter as well and can space the floor, allowing Giannis, Middleton and Jrue to operate efficiently on offense.
Williams is seeking a multi-year deal (around 2-3 years). The Milwaukee Bucks can offer him the full mid-level exception. However, the Bucks have a lot of roster spots to fill and need to bring in reinforcements for their frontcourt as well. That's because Bobby Portis could be on the move after declining his player option.
So spending the full mid-level exception would on Lou Williams wouldn't be a sensible proposition for the Milwaukee Bucks. If there is a possibility for the Bucks to acquire Williams for cheap, though, Milwaukee should certainly go ahead with pursuing him due to his on-court fit.
Also read: NBA Rumors: Dwight Howard and Wayne Ellington interested in rejoining LA Lakers