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Patrick Beverley Reacts to Lou Williams Signing With Atlanta Hawks
After being traded from the LA Clippers to the Atlanta Hawks at the 2021 NBA Trade Deadline, Lou Williams has officially decided to re-sign a one-year / $5M deal with Atlanta. This will be Lou's 17th NBA season, and 4th with the Hawks. Williams previously played for Atlanta from 2012-2014.
When the news broke that Lou Williams would be returning to the Hawks, longtime friend and former teammate Patrick Beverley took to Twitter to celebrate Lou's new deal.
In a 2020 interview during the NBA's Covid-19 shutdown, Lou Williams stated that the Clippers would be his last team. He clearly indicated that he was disinterested in finishing his career anywhere but the Clippers after the role he had carved out with them over the course of three seasons.
After the trade to Atlanta, Williams said on Instagram that he considered retiring; however, the opportunity to play in his hometown was one that he ultimately embraced. After finishing the 2021 season in Atlanta, and helping them advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, Williams has seemingly found an opportunity to finish his basketball career just miles from where it started at South Gwinnett High School.
In 24 games for the Hawks last season, Lou Williams averaged 10 PPG and shot 44% from distance; however, his biggest contributions came once Trae Young went down with injury in the Eastern Conference Finals. After stepping on an official's foot and turning his ankle, Trae Young was forced to miss games four and five against the Milwaukee Bucks. Lou Williams stepped into the starting lineup during those two games, and averaged 19 PPG and 6.5 APG on 62.5% from the field.
While Patrick Beverley will start the 2021-22 NBA season on a different team than Lou Williams for the first time since 2016, the longest tenured Clipper seems happy that his friend has found a home once again in Atlanta.
