Report: Hornets in aggressive pursuit of Lou Williams trade
Lou Williams may find himself back in the Eastern Conference before long.
ESPN’s Marc Stein reports on Tuesday that the Los Angeles Lakers’ new Magic Johnson-led front office is “widely expected” to trade the former Sixth Man of the Year before Thursday’s deadline.
The one move widely expected from the Lakers' Magic Johnson-led front office this week is trading Lou Williams. No need for LW when tanking
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 21, 2017
Chris Haynes, also of ESPN, added to Stein’s report, saying that the Charlotte Hornets are “aggressively pursuing” Williams.
Charlotte aggressively pursuing Los Angeles guard Lou Williams, league sources tell ESPN. As @ESPNSteinLine notes, most likely to be dealt.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 21, 2017
The 30-year-old Williams, who is under contract through 2018, was already expected to be dealt even before the Lakers’ front office shakeup, and the Hornets make for an interesting fit. Though Charlotte ranks in the top 10 in bench scoring this season, they have done it without the luxury of a go-to second unit scorer. As such, the Hornets could be buyers in the final hours before the deadline, and what a story it would be for a Michael Jordan-led team to be Magic Johnson’s first trade partner.