Lakers Trade Rumors: Utah Jazz ‘expressed interest’ in Lou Williams

When rumors surfaced over the past week that it was “likely” that the Los Angeles Lakers would deal Lou Williams before the trade deadline on Thursday, it was unknown where he might be headed. Then, the Washington Wizards were reported to be interested in Williams, possibly in exchange for a first round pick.

It turns out the Wizards aren’t the only team with an interest in Williams. Ian Begley of ESPN reports that “some members of the Utah Jazz front office have expressed interest recently“ in Williams, as well as confirming that “many around the league believe Williams is likely to be dealt before Thursday's trade deadline.”

As for the price the Lakers are seeking for their diminutive microwave scorer? According to Begley, “some teams who have talked to the Lakers about Williams believe Los Angeles is seeking a first-round pick in any Williams swap,” which would line up with reports that the Wizards were mulling over offering a protected first-rounder.

Williams is only making $7 million annually through the ‘17-18 season, making him an affordable dose of scoring to round out either the Jazz’, Wizards’ or any other contender’s bench.

Harrison Faigen is co-host of the Locked on Lakers podcast (subscribe here), and you can follow him on Twitter at @hmfaigen.