Lou Williams Set to Become a Free Agent

Share

Lost in the shuffle during a busy weekend of Phillies baseball and enjoying ourselves a ton, Lou Williams officially filed to opt out of the final year on his contract. The move was little more than a formality for the 76ers' leading scorer, who will test free agency after setting a career high with 14.9 points per game.

Lou could still wind up staying in Philly if the price is right, but it sounds like there is going to be some interest from the market. As much as they might miss his scoring though, we've probably seen the ceiling or close to it for Williams' abilities, and it's not something the team is in a position to overpay for at this point.

Andrew Unterberger discussed the possibility of moving on in his Exit Interviews:

Lou, don't go away mad / Lou, just go away. The career Sixer has expressed his desire to opt out of his contract this off-season, and will undoubtedly test the open market to see if he can starters' money, if not necessarily a starter's role. I pray that some near-contending (or totally rebuilding) team in need of a scoring punch does so, and the Sixers have the good sense not to match. Seven years with this guy has been plenty, if we don't cut ties now, he might still be taking contested late-shot-clock threes for us when he's 47. I'm worried he'll still end up back with the Sixers, though—the market may have dried up some for him after his shitty end to the season, and ultimately comfort and loyalty might win out, to the detriment of everyone.

Nick Menta also wrote about whether Lou's numbers could land him a better job:

Williams, who averaged 26.3 minutes per game last season, may be looking for a gig for as a starter, rather than as the change of pace, instant offense option off the bench he's provided the Sixers throughout his seven seasons with the team. And for as much criticism as Williams faced when his numbers and efficiency saw a dramatic decline in the playoffs, his regular season numbers might just be enough to convince a team to add him to their starting five next year.

Contact Us