Clippers looking to trade Lou Williams, bring a playmaker to compete with LeBron James and Lakers

Lou Williams is on the trading block according to Marc Stein, who believes the Clippers are looking to add Derrick Rose.

There is little doubting that the Clippers were in need of major reinforcements after their ignominous playoff exit. The way they folded under pressure against the Nuggets was totally unexpected. Much of the blame for this went to Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell and Paul George.

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The Clippers were revealed to have two major weaknesses in their roster during the playoffs. One of them was having a true big man to guard the likes of Jokic. The other was the lack of a playmaker – a shortage they will look to assuage by trading Lou Williams.

Why is Lou Williams rumored to be on the move from Clippers?

From averaging 18 points per game during the regular season on 55% true shooting percentage, Williams went to a meager 10 points per game against the Nuggets. This drop in production wasn’t in the face of particularly great defense – Lou just went super cold.

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The value Williams brings to any team, especially given his eminently valuable $8 million contract, means it will be tough to replace him. Derrick Rose is the only player in the same pay range who’s returning similar value through his production.

Many trade scenarios have been drawn up to bring Rose to the Clippers, a couple of them even being three-way trades. Such deals would net a pick or two for the Pistons, while Lou would join another contending team.

It remains unclear as to what course of action the Clippers front office will take.