Atlanta Hawks: Hawks agree to terms with free-agent guard Louis Williams
The Hawks and free-agent guard Lou Williams have agreed to a multiyear contract, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement.
Terms of the deal were not immediately known but the Hawks likely will sign Williams by using part of their mid-level salary-cap exception. The person with knowledge of the deal said the contract would allow the Hawks to maintain the salary-cap flexibility they gained by recently agreeing to trade Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams.
Williams opted out of the final year of his contract with Philadelphia, which was to pay him $5.4 million in 2012-13.
The deal can’t become official until the NBA’s moratorium on most transactions ends Wednesday.
Williams, 25, is a former star at South Gwinnett High school, where he was a two-time Mr. Basketball winner and a McDonald’s All-American. After committing to Georgia, he decided to declare for the 2005 draft and was selected by Philadelphia in the second round. He played in 455 games with Philadelphia, mostly as a reserve.
Williams figures to fill a similar bench-scoring role with the Hawks. Once Atlanta completes the trades involving Johnson and Williams and secures a buyout of Jordan Farmar, the team will have five guards on the roster in addition to Williams: Jeff Teague, Devin Harris, Anthony Morrow, John Jenkins and DeShawn Stevenson.
Williams led the Sixers in scoring last season with 14.9 points in 26.3 minutes per game and posted team-best PER marks in the past two seasons. He finished second to Thunder guard James Harden in voting for the 2011-12 NBA Sixth Man Award.
Williams is smallish combo guard who’s a volume shooter with a so-so jump shot. But he manages to be a fairly efficient scorer because of a very good free-throw rate. Last season Williams ranked sixth in scoring rate among point guards who played at least 25 minutes per game.
The Sixers allowed 3.38 fewer points per 100 possessions with Williams on the bench. Williams had a 12.1 opposing PER against against point guards and 11.9 against shooting guards.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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232 comments Add your comment
Vettledi
July 10th, 2012
7:04 pm
This is just great news. And I don’t want to hear anything like “aw so that means no playing time for Teague + Lou is a friend of Dwight so A+B=C”… No. Stop. Lou is going to have the same role in here as he had in Philadelphia. And to lead the second squad with about 17pts per game next year, for 5M$ I don’t want to hear ANYTHING about Ferry, ANYTHING.
pointguardslim
July 10th, 2012
7:04 pm
The Atlanta Hawks 2012-13 serán lo más parecido a [team made for me]. I have beenenamored with the game of Lou for years… He is very emocional (?)!!!
Thanks to the [gerencia][management?] of the team, [comandada por] [commendments for?] Ferry, [de corazón,os quiero tíos]!!!
gave it a try
doc
July 10th, 2012
7:07 pm
rod i think lou is what salim should have been size wise and production wise. kind of jamal like in flip size body.
Luke Cage
July 10th, 2012
7:08 pm
SWEET CHRISTMAS!!!
Welcome Lou!!
soullrenaissance
July 10th, 2012
7:09 pm
W. R. Terrell “DANNY FERRY IS THE MAN!……DANNY FERRY IS THE MAN…..DANNY FERRY IS THE MAN….Did I tell yall that DANNY FERRY IS THE MAN!…..Let me say it one mo time….DANNY FERRY IS THE MAN!!!!!”
DITTO!
Lou has brought his talents back to the Southeast – the A and not Miami. This has really turned into a helluva off-season and if we can pull a ‘trifecta’
and acquire D12, I would have to jump back and pinch myself.
pointguardslim
July 10th, 2012
7:09 pm
Man who is this Luke Cage guy. Is it slimjr? This guy cracks me up.
Luke Cage
July 10th, 2012
7:11 pm
Luke Cage is your “Hero For Hire”
Danny Ferry
July 10th, 2012
7:13 pm
Guys as much as I like this move I made and would love to bring Dwight home, this move was more for Josh, not Howard. I’m trying to entice him to extend. Lets hope he bites.
Fundamentals
July 10th, 2012
7:14 pm
Last aau Atl connection would be adding Rondo.
Rondo, Lou
Morrow
Brooks -still can’t see why we can’t get him cheap.
Smoove
Dwight
Might as well find a way to bring in Favors, Thaddeus & Bosh.
Jfreak13713
July 10th, 2012
7:14 pm
Nice addition!
Mike
July 10th, 2012
7:15 pm
Great job as usual, MC
So anything new on the Dwight end and with this signing we will have 4 guards so what is the game plan with that?
NCBravesFan
July 10th, 2012
7:15 pm
Every time I see “SWEET CHRISTMAS!!!” on the blog, I smile. So thanks for that, Luke.
I like this signing. Go Hawks!
Disgusted
July 10th, 2012
7:16 pm
We have more than enough guards now, who is going to play small forward.
This is not the end of the Hawks moves, so have to wait and see how this plays out.
Lou Williams, not a bad player, but a volume shooter & I want to see more of him on a day to day basis to judge him.
Joe
July 10th, 2012
7:16 pm
I hope that the Hawks can get Dwight without giving up Jeff Teague.
Teague
Williams
Smith
ZaZa/a free agent
Howard
The Real cp
July 10th, 2012
7:16 pm
I like the Lou signing but we still need a sf. Get Gerald Green in here
2 FOR JOHN DREW
July 10th, 2012
7:18 pm
Michael Cunningham
July 10th, 2012
6:51 pm
@hmmm: “About time MC”
if you are not satisfied with the speed in which blogs are posted, you can always ask for a refund. Clever come back MC
Disgusted
July 10th, 2012
7:18 pm
Remember, D-12 is comming off back surgery. Just a caution. Not saying I don’t want him, but…….backs can be lingersome.
And who knows if he will stay here, Who knows of the Hawks can pull that deal off anyway, I will believe it when I see it.
falCans
July 10th, 2012
7:20 pm
Too many guards expect a trade for a veteran sf.
Yawnnnnn!
July 10th, 2012
7:21 pm
Ummmmm No …… A 6 foot shooting guard who won’t can’t will not PASS or Defend. Philly is a true contender with a TEAM coach that told him to kick rocks. Hey why not though we have a 6/9 center 2 outta control non shot making pgs no SF and a Head case leading them all. yadda yadda ya……
Dan
July 10th, 2012
7:22 pm
I like the move. Just sign potential young superstars even the bench that can grow and be interchangeable
SuckerFree
July 10th, 2012
7:22 pm
yessir!!!!!!
inside word…Josh Is Happy.
Now gotta get Dwight here and have a REAL hometown team with Morrow, Josh, Lou & Dwight
steven a smith
July 10th, 2012
7:26 pm
Now let’s sign Anthony Randolph.
New hawk blood
July 10th, 2012
7:26 pm
Danny Ferry you da Man!
steven a smith
July 10th, 2012
7:27 pm
Great move Hawks
doc
July 10th, 2012
7:27 pm
well i see you did, it is kind of what we expected from salim. lou is like a jamal in a flip sized body.
Just Joe
July 10th, 2012
7:28 pm
Lou Williams avgd 3.5 assists in 26 minutes per game with limited turnovers (3.1:1 ratio). He knows how and when to pass.
Jae Evolution
July 10th, 2012
7:28 pm
Finish out the roster with Anthony Randolph and Ronnie Brewer and let’s move from there.
i_am_soulstar
July 10th, 2012
7:29 pm
Not that I’m a proponent for getting D-12, but you have to recall everyone saying that once the Nets traded for Deron Williams, he was as good as gone come free agency.
But the Nets sold him on staying with signings and trades (although I believe they have 2 seriously overpaid guys in Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace).
If the Nets could do it for Deron, it’s certainly possible that ATL could pull off the same regarding Dwight.
Although I have to mention the obvious caveat that according to reports, NJ’s owner could give 2 spits about paying the luxury tax, and that that in itself could be enticing for players, knowing that their owner won’t shy away from surrounding them with talent.
JK
July 10th, 2012
7:30 pm
D Howard? The guy who hates the Hawks? Really????? No way, go another route. No need for another bad attitude on the team. We need team players.
phillycat
July 10th, 2012
7:35 pm
ATL phans……Lou is a nice 3rd combo….as u no, he plays no defense and he needs the ball on offense to be effective…He opted out of his deal ( 6 mil) to pursue free agency ( which was a good thought cuz he led the squad in scoring)….I’m sure he was banking on a longer more lucrative deal….As a result…Look 4 Lou Wil to ball hard (selfish) with an eye on his next free agency & the nice deal
ATLien
July 10th, 2012
7:35 pm
Danny Ferry for President!!!!
steven a smith
July 10th, 2012
7:38 pm
AL Horford needs to go. He is an absolute HORRIBLE defender. We need winners. Al Horford was not the main BIG on those National Championship teams…
steven a smith
July 10th, 2012
7:38 pm
AL Horford needs to go. He is an absolute HORRIBLE defender. We need winners. Al Horford was not the main BIG on those National Championship teams…
SuckerFree
July 10th, 2012
7:38 pm
Hey guys….Lou Williams is the real deal. All you guys that wanted a Jamal Crawford type…you got him and he’s from HERE, wants to be here and he comes at a great price.
Lou Williams also PLAYS DEFENSE so he isn’t a liability when he’s on the court.
The guy that seems on the outside looking in is Jeff Teague…who we may have to trade but I’m comfortable with having 3 point guards on the roster because then we can do what we were meant to do and that’s RUN.
I do agree that we need another Small Forward type to make it fit…. ANTHONY RANDOLPH would be ideal because then we can slide Josh to the 3
Jae Evolution
July 10th, 2012
7:41 pm
Sam Mitchell cosigning a Dwight back to ATL movement with the signing of Lou Williams.
Bossmann
July 10th, 2012
7:42 pm
@ Jae Evolution and Stephen A. Smith
I couldn’t agree with you guys more. Randolph would be a great addition along with Brewer. I still believe that trying to get McGee would a much wiser move than trading for Howard. Wish we could have made a play ay Ilyasova…Oh Well!!!!
JK
July 10th, 2012
7:43 pm
By the comments on this blog it is apparent that Hawks fans are delusional at the moment. This is NOT a good thing that we are recruiting Josh Smith’s homies. This is a disaster waiting to happen. Hopefully this will be a temporary fix until the cap is cleared next year. Just because moves are being made does NOT mean that they are going to work. History proves it.
phillycat
July 10th, 2012
7:45 pm
I need to be clear….. Lou plays zero defense…..When he returns to ATL during the offseason and play pick-up games, playing defense is optional…however in the league u gota guard some1….also he is not a point guard…We here in philly are kool wit Lou Wil getn his walkn papers
boxxiethebull
July 10th, 2012
7:45 pm
yes….do it .just like that!!!!! dont trade horfy…..team can win….should have added Lewis….not sure about d12….do we really want him?….love is a 2 way street and he aint givin me none!!!! go danny
ryan
July 10th, 2012
7:49 pm
Like this pick up of Lou Williams is there a slight chance of the Hawks still in the D12 sweepstakes because its seems the Nets having problems completing the trade .
Gwinnett Fred
July 10th, 2012
7:49 pm
Welcome home Lou!
This “fixes”: half of the 2005 draft disaster. Obviously taking Maravin instead of C.Paul, Deron Williams or Bynum is the big story – but taking Salim Stoudamire (out of the NBA for 4 years now) instead of the home town kid was a major goof as well.
dap01
July 10th, 2012
7:50 pm
The Hawks must have other trades in mind. We have Harris, Teague, Williams, Morrow, Jenkins. All are good but all are small and not too great defensively.
steven a smith
July 10th, 2012
7:51 pm
I may be crazy, however, i do think Javale McGhee will be a top 10 center in this league one day. He is worth the risk. one of the few guys in this league who can protect the rim…
steven a smith
July 10th, 2012
7:51 pm
I may be crazy, however, i do think Javale McGhee will be a top 10 center in this league one day. He is worth the risk. one of the few guys in this league who can protect the rim…
Just Joe
July 10th, 2012
7:53 pm
82games.com suggests that Lou defends both guard spots fairly well.
KevinM
July 10th, 2012
8:00 pm
I think Lou does defense….and better ham his idol, AI!
Saying that, he fits better than JC2. A terrific addition for a young guy……
Danny is 3 for 3 in my rankings.
Extreme Makeover – the Atlanta Hawks continues…….
steven a smith
July 10th, 2012
8:02 pm
My Basketball dream is coming to fruition. Scrubs are leaving the Atlanta Hawks adnauseum, Goodbye
Damp, Collins, Radmo, Marvin, and Joe.
Jae Evolution
July 10th, 2012
8:02 pm
Chad Ford @chadfordinsider
If Magic want best player? Lakers best partner. Best package of players? Hawks. Want to blow it up? Rockets. None of the above? Nets
Pretty much what it comes down to in the next week, get ready.
The ATLER
July 10th, 2012
8:02 pm
Great Pick up I like it!!!! Keep it going Ferry!!!!
BIG DOG
July 10th, 2012
8:03 pm
Trade proposal.
Devin, Horford, Zaza and 2 first for D12 and Turk.
Teague still might be in Hawks uniform.
Magic might want Teague and Devin.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE