Milwaukee Bucks Rumors: Expected to pursue free agent Lou Williams?
By Dalton Sell
With 2021 NBA Free Agency officially set to begin tomorrow, the Milwaukee Bucks have found themselves mentioned in the rumor mill yet again.
This time around, their rumored interest revolves around one of the most prolific second unit scorers of all time in Lou Williams. As first reported by HoopsHype’s Micahel Scotto early Sunday morning, the Bucks are expected to be among the teams to express interest in the three-time Sixth Man of the Year, who will officially enter unrestricted free agency.
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Scotto notes that the long-time veteran and the Atlanta Hawks have a mutual interest in agreeing to a deal after he finished the season there and that he will be seeking a deal between two and three years.
The Bucks got a good look at the veteran guard in the Eastern Conference Finals in their matchup with the Atlanta Hawks, and it makes sense that they might make a run at him once free agency kicks off.
Lou Williams would be a reasonable target for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 NBA Free Agency
One predicament that followed the Bucks all throughout the 2020-21 season was their need for a backup point guard. After inking D.J. Augustin to a three-year deal in free agency, he never quite found his footing and was eventually included in the trade package for P.J. Tucker. They would then sign veteran Jeff Teague off the buyout market, who was oftentimes hot or cold on the floor. With the guard set to hit free agency once again after winning the title with the Bucks, the front office will need to find a backup point guard yet again.
Although he had a down year, Williams would be among the ideal candidates to fill that vacancy for this upcoming season. After all, the guard is one of the greatest bench scorers this league has ever seen, and his numbers back it up. In the three seasons prior to 2020-21, Williams averaged 20.4 points on .427/.358/.874 shooting splits, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. Numbers in that ballpark could undoubtedly help bulk up Milwaukee’s second unit that oftentimes struggled to put points on the scoreboard during this turbulent title run.
Williams will enter a 2021 free agent class that is loaded with talent at the point guard position, and he stands as one of the more reasonable targets for the Bucks. Of course, affordability will have to be factored in as the reigning champions will have little financial flexibility to utilize, and Williams could be among the targets they could pursue if Teague does indeed take his talents elsewhere. It does not seem controversial to say that Williams would be an immediate upgrade over Teague to bulk up the second unit.
While Williams has his share of limitations, most notably on the defensive end, he would be a reasonable target for the Bucks. They will be tasked with finding someone to play behind starting guard Jrue Holiday in the backcourt, and reuniting the two after they previously played together could be a great combination for the Bucks to give them another trusted ball-handler that can create plays for himself and others.
Next. Milwaukee Bucks: Predicting where impending free agents will soon sign. dark
Rumors will continue to surface in the hours leading up to 2021 NBA Free Agency, but these latest rumblings that link the Bucks to Williams are surely interesting.