Written by Calvin Watkins at ESPN.com
The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to trade sixth man Lou Williams to the Houston Rockets in exchange for swingman Corey Brewer and an unprotected first-round pick, sources told ESPN, confirming multiple reports.
The addition of Williams brings additional scoring to the Rockets’ bench, something general manager Daryl Morey said he was hoping to accomplish by Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.
The move comes on the heels of the Lakers’ naming Hall of Famer Magic Johnson as their new president of basketball operations, firing longtime general manager Mitch Kupchak and removing Jim Buss as executive vice president of basketball operations. There has been some question surrounding the Lakers’ decision-making process in advance of Thursday’s deadline, and sources told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that Johnson did the deal directly with Houston.
The Lakers had multiple offers for Williams that included a first-round pick in recent weeks, sources told Shelburne. They were so confident in their ability to land a first-round pick for Williams that they offered that first-round pick in discussions for DeMarcus Cousins with the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.
Williams is having the best season of his 12-year career, with highs in points (18.6 per game) and 3-point field goal percentage (.385). He leads the league in scoring off the bench, followed by Rockets reserve guard and newly crowned 3-point shootout champion Eric Gordon. The two have combined for 1,974 points this season.
While Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni liked the defensive intangibles Brewer brought, he struggled with his shot, something the team couldn’t afford to deal with in the postseason. Brewer is averaging a career-low 4.2 points per game and was held scoreless in 13 of the 58 games he has played this season.
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