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Clippers, Hawks' Updated Roster, Salary Cap After Rajon Rondo-Lou Williams Trade
March 25, 2021
The Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly trading Lou Williams to the Atlanta Hawks.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported Williams was going to the Hawks for Rajon Rondo. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium added that Atlanta will also receive two second-round picks and cash.
Williams is making $8 million in 2020-21, the final season of a three-year, $24 million deal he signed with the Clippers in 2018. Rondo is making $7.5 million in 2020-21 and 2021-22 after signing a two-year, $15 million deal with the Hawks last offseason.
Both teams were hard-capped prior to making the deal, which is why Los Angeles had to include cash to make the finances work. The Clippers were $27.2 million over the cap. The Hawks were $5.56 million over the cap this season before acquiring Williams.
Updated Clippers Roster
PG: Patrick Beverley, Rajon Rondo, Reggie Jackson, Amir Coffey
SG: Paul George, Terance Mann
SF: Kawhi Leonard, Luke Kennard, Marcus Morris Sr.
PF: Nicolas Batum, Patrick Patterson
C: Serge Ibaka, Ivica Zubac, Daniel Oturu
Updated Hawks Roster
PG: Trae Young, Brandon Goodwin, Kris Dunn
SG: Kevin Huerter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Lou Williams, Brandon Goodwin
SF: De'Andre Hunter, Tony Snell
PF: John Collins, Danilo Gallinari, Solomon Hill
C: Clint Capela, Onyeka Okongwu, Bruno Fernando
The acquisition of Rondo should help stabilize the Clippers' uncertain point guard situation. They have been searching for a ball-handler who can distribute. His presence will allow Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to find open spots, knowing they can depend on Rondo to get them open looks.
Rondo is also an excellent playoff performer, even at this stage of his career. The four-time All-Star averaged 8.9 points on 40 percent three-point shooting and 6.6 assists in last year's postseason with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Williams has been with the Clippers since the start of the 2017-18 season, winning two Sixth Man of the Year Awards and becoming an integral part of the team's bench unit.
This move is largely a product of the Clippers' desire to improve in the postseason. Their second-round collapse against the Denver Nuggets last year led to the departure of coach Doc Rivers, along with a number of changes on the margins of their rotation.
Gone are Montrezl Harrell and JaMychal Green, and in their place is Serge Ibaka, who signed a two-year contract.
Moving on from Williams will leave the Clippers without their two top-scoring bench players and the recipients of the last three Sixth Man of the Year winners, but Rondo is a better fit for what they need looking ahead to the playoffs.
Williams gives the Hawks another scorer who interim head coach Nate McMillan can use as a starter or off the bench as the team tries to pass the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets in the Southeast Division.