#206. Lakers,Rockets, agree to deal for Louis Williams.
In the same day the Lakers fired Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss, hired Magic Johnson as President of Basketball Operations, and set up for the hiring of Rob Pelinka as General Manager, the Lakers agreed to send Louis Williams to the Rockets. It was a busy day yesterday for the Lakers, but they seem to be moving in the right direction. Meanwhile in Houston, as the Rockets try to secure the #3 seed in the West on the court, management makes a move that will boost their bench.
The Trade
Rockets receive: G Louis Williams
Lakers receive: G/F Corey Brewer, 2017 1st round pick
Rockets
Trade Grade: A+
This was a perfect trade for the Rockets. They gave away a 1st round pick that doesn’t mean anything to them. They also gave away a 3rd string player who wasn’t contributing enough to truly be missed. They get back a former Sixth Man of the Year candidate, and the front-runner to win the award this year, alongside their own Eric Gordon. Now, they Rockets have both 6th Man of the Year front-runners on their roster, and the MVP front-runner leading the charge. Drawing up the X’s and O’s is a formerly scorned head coach who is a Coach of the Year candidate. When it comes to basketball, Houston is having a big year.
The main problem the Rockets need to address to compete with contenders is their bench. Mike D’Antoni’s pedal-to-the-medal style of offense puts a lot of pressure on James Harden. The Rockets are very, very good offensively with James Harden on the floor. Without bench scorers, the Rockets offense suffers when Harden sits on the bench. So far, Eric Gordon has been vital in keeping the Rockets afloat, when James Harden sits. His scoring off the bench has actually made him the leading candidate in the Sixth Man of the Year race. So far in LA, Lou Williams has been averaging 18 points per game off the bench, leading the best bench in the league. He will easily fit in with D’Antoni’s offense. Coupled with the exceptional play of their young players(Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell), the 2 leading Sixth Men will be just what the Rockets need to be one of (if not) the best bench in the NBA.
Lakers
Trade Grade: B
Trading Lou Will was the only logic decision for the Lakers at this point. Louis Williams is simply playing too well. Normally, that’s exactly what a team would want. However, the Lakers are in a unique position. They need at least one first round pick this year, and they want to acquire as many as possible. The problem with their own pick is, Philadelphia has the rights under a top 3 protection, so the Lakers need their pick to be top 3 in order to keep it.
That’s where Lou Williams comes in. Louis Williams is single-handedly adding wins to the team’s record. The good news for the Lakers is Lou Will is an ideal trade piece. He fits well on pretty much any team, he scores with peak efficiency and regularity. On top of that, his contract is team-friendly in relation to his on-court performance; he has a multi-year deal worth $7 million annually. Any playoff team could use a Lou Will on their roster.
The ideal return on that ideal asset is a late-lottery pick, or a 1st round pick landing in the early 20s. While the Lakers succeeded in getting a 1st round pick, they received one of the worst first round picks available, as Houston will likely be a top 3 seed in the Western Conference. They got a 1st round pick of such little value because they messed up.
When Lou Will first arrived on the trade block, several teams showed interest. Other teams that were interested have worse records, and therefore far more valuable draft picks than the Rockets. But, the Lakers, under Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss, dragged their feet. While, they were dragging their feet instead of pulling the trigger, they had to pick the team that still wanted to trade for Louis Williams. They couldn’t risk not trading him, and therefore adding wins to their record. While the other teams looked for other options, the Rockets stayed in talks with the Lakers. So, the Lakers pulled the trigger on a worse deal(but still a decent one) before all offers came off the trade block and they were stuck with Lou Williams.
The Lakers’ entire goal for this trade was to make sure they have a 1st round pick. That’s exactly what they did. They received a guaranteed late 1st rounder, and they increased their chances of retaining their pick from the 76ers. Mission accomplished, but they could’ve gotten more for such an ideal asset.
