Memphis Grizzlies: A Trade for Lou Williams Makes Sense

At this point, Wade Baldwin IV seems to be the backup PG of the future. What the Grizzlies seem to be lacking is the backup PG of the present. That’s where Lou Williams comes in to play.

The news that the Lakers are open to the idea of trading scoring extraordinaire Lou Williams has peaked the interest of teams around the NBA. With Andrew Harrison struggling to fill that void and Baldwin currently in the D-League, Williams would be the perfect fit for the Grizzlies.

Why it works:

Let’s be honest with ourselves. This teams’ main focus is defense. Grit ‘n’ Grind is alive and well in Memphis. What they are lacking, though, is a solid two-way sharpshooter.

Sure they have sharpshooters of our own in Troy Daniels and Vince Carter, but Troy is a defensive liability and Vince is 40.

Williams is one of the best per-minute scorers in the league averaging 18.5 points in only 24 minutes per game. He proved that back in December, setting the record for most points over a four game stretch by a bench player with 137. He put up 40 against Memphis (I cringed writing that), 24 against Houston, 38 against Utah and 35 against Phoenix.

Williams is a versatile guard that can play either the 1 or the 2, score inside anywhere and play respectable defense. I mean, his defense isnt going to blow anyone away, but it’s at least good enough to keep him on the floor (Sorry TD, I love you but your defense is … uhh … not good).

The best part about all of this is, with the Lakers struggling, Williams should come at a reasonable price.

How It Could Happen:

In this year’s draft, the Lakers have a top-three protected first-round pick. This means that if the Lakers end up getting a top-three pick, they keep it. If it falls outside of the top 3, it goes to the 76ers.

At 19-39, the Lakers seem well on their way to making this a reality. Only problem for LA is that the draft order isn’t guaranteed. With the lottery process in full effect, the only thing guaranteed is the amount of ping pong balls they’d get.

Right now, they’re in the third spot in the dreaded ping pong order. One way to help their chances would be to trade off some assets to help them lose a few more games. Lou Williams is an easy piece to trade.

At $7,000,000 this season, his contract is tradeable. Plus, he’s still under contract through the 2017-18 season, meaning he wouldn’t be just a rental. Also, his scoring ability is a hot commodity, and he’s only 30 so he is still fairly young.

The Grizzlies are in a position where a player of Lou Will’s caliber could propel them into legitimate contention.

Win-win for all, right?

What The Trade Would Look Like:

With the Grizzlies very close to the luxury tax line, they need to trade multiple players to make Williams’ contract work.

Now, I know some of you probably want to burn me at the stake for suggesting Carter. I promise you I didn’t enjoy writing it. The thing is, although he may be a fan favorite, Vince is 40 and isn’t in the future plans for the Grizzlies. They will need to find a viable replacement for him at some point, and it makes sense for it to be now rather than later. If they do it now, they get a great piece in return. If they wait, there’s no telling what they will get in return.

For the Lakers, this trade works for multiple reasons.

Vince Carter on the squad will help sell some tickets because, you know, he’s Vince Carter. Everyone loves Vince.

Carter’s contract is up after this season, freeing up cap space.

Jarell is a young, talented big man, something the Lakers need. He was a first round pick for a reason. The kid can ball.

Everybody Wins!

In a perfect world, this is the right trade. Both teams take a step closer to where their team needs to be and neither team has to break the bank to do it.

I would love for them to find a way to ship Andrew Harrison along as well, but I’m not sure the Lakers have much else Memphis would want in return.

If this is going to happen, look for it to happen fairly soon. Both teams seem to have a glaring need, and I have a feeling they want to make a move sooner rather than later. Especially the Lakers.

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