NBA Free Agency 2012: 5 Teams That Must Sign Lou Williams
The Philadelphia 76ers' reported deal with shooting guard Nick Young all but spelled the end of any chances of leading scorer Lou Williams returning to the team.
John Finger of CSNPhilly.com confirmed (via Twitter) that the Sixers will not attempt to re-sign Williams, and Williams himself said on Twitter that that he would not be returning to Philadelphia.
"Philly, I appreciate you all. Unfortunately I will not be coming back, as an organization they decided to move in a different direction.
— Lou Williams (@TeamLou23) July 6, 2012"
Now that his return to the Sixers is out of the question, there's a pretty good player on the market that certain teams should aggressively pursue.
Here's a look at the five best suitors for Williams.
Houston Rockets
Do the Rockets have a backup plan if the Knicks match Jeremy Lin's offer sheet?
In the matter of days they could lose Kyle Lowry, Goran Dragic and Lin. Jumping on Williams quickly makes sense for the Rockets, even if he's a short-term fix until they come up with a Plan D.
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavs missed out on Deron Williams and everyone else and need to surround Dirk Nowitzki with some talent.
Williams can provide some of the additional scoring punch the Mavs will need to compete in 2013.
Utah Jazz
The Jazz are a good young team that could use a guy like Williams. Even though they acquired Mo Williams to play the point, adding Lou Williams as well would give them a pretty solid duo with some scoring punch.
New Orleans Hornets
It's not a necessity that a team like New Orleans adds a player like Williams, but he's a guy who could play a big role for them.
They can get by with Jarrett Jack and Greivis Vasquez, but they could use some legitimate scoring punch off the bench, and that's something that Williams can provide.
Chicago Bulls
With Derrick Rose out for most of the 2013 season and rookie Marquis Teague likely not ready for the NBA just yet, that leaves just C.J. Watson right now, and the Bulls can still decline his option before July 10.
Williams would give the Bulls a solid lead guard while Rose rehabilitates and will strengthen the Chicago bench when he returns.
