Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers, agree to three-year contract extension
Per Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, the Los Angeles Clippers and Lou Williams have reportedly agreed to a three-year contract extension.
Lou Williams and the Los Angeles Clippers have reportedly agreed to a three-year contract extension, according to several sources.
Yahoo Sports’ Shams Charania initially reported the deal, while ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski included that the third year would include a player option.
Talks about an extension of Williams’s contract have been up in the air for a while now, with reports dating to early January. According to Charania, Williams had “outpriced himself” in deals involving late-first and early-second round picks.
With the extension, the idea of trading Williams before the deadline is out the window. The Clippers’ focus will now shift onto DeAndre Jordan and Avery Bradley, both of whom have found themselves in rumors lately.
Jordan is the obvious move. His contract expires upon season’s end, and he is the team’s most valuable asset. The Clippers could realistically obtain Brooklyn’s first-round pick from the Cavaliers in a Jordan trade, if the price is right. However, if that doesn’t work out, LA will have plenty of other options.
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The Portland Trail Blazers have been rumored to be in the Jordan sweepstakes, as have the Houston Rockets. Cleveland could still propose the most desirable long-term option, though.
Letting Jordan walk in free agency is also an option, but getting a return for the All-Star center is essential.
Bradley, a guard coveted for his elite defensive abilities, is most definitely on the trade block as well. Numerous reports have named the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder as possible suitors for him. However, no official offers have been proposed. The Clippers will likely seek another first-round pick for him.
With the trade deadline fast approaching, the Clippers will need to act quickly to complete a deal.