Lakers free agency rumors: Lou Williams will receive 'strong interest' from Lakers, other teams

NBA free agency begins on July 1 but the rumor mill is already churning now that the NBA season is officially over. Reigning Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams is an unrestricted free agent this summer and is could explore his options outside of Toronto. The Los Angeles Lakers are one of several teams that have "strong interest" in the scoring guard, according to Shams Charania of Real GM.

The Lakers are expected to be spenders during free agency, and certainly could be looking at depth issues in their backcourt. Both Jeremy Lin and Ronnie Price are unrestricted free agents, leaving Jordan Clarkson as the one true point guard on the roster. Williams is coming off a career-high 15.5 points per game scoring average with the Toronto Raptors. There may be interest in Williams, but it's unlikely he's high on the Lakers' priority list heading into free agency.

Los Angeles' pitch to free agents was helped in a "big way" when they won the No. 2 pick, but there are only a select few unrestricted free agents available worth a maximum-level contract, and most are centers -- the same position the Lakers are projected to fill with a franchise center in Jahlil Okafor on draft night. Adding additional talent at point guard is important, but Williams is a soft rumor at best.

Williams and Toronto are said to have already expressed "mutual interest" while Lou could be looking for a contract in the range of $27 million over three years or $35 million over four years, according to Charania. A contract in that range would be a big chunk of the Lakers' salary space, and could creep into their ability to offer a maximum-level deal this summer. The Kings, Knicks and Nets are the other teams listed as potential suitors for Williams.