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Rockets' Lou Williams: Traded to Rockets

Williams has been traded to the Rockets on Tuesday in exchange for Corey Brewer and an unprotected 2017 first-round pick, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports.

Analysis:

The Lakers didn't take long to make their first major trade after cleaning house in their front office and announcing Magic Johnson as the new president of basketball operations earlier Tuesday. With multiple teams reportedly willing to shell out a first-round pick for Williams, the rebuilding Lakers did well to pick up another selection in what's expected to be a deep 2017 draft class, though given the Rockets' success this season, the pick is expected to fall late in the round. As for the Rockets, they'll further bolster what was already been the second-most prolific offensive attack in the league, as Williams will combine with fellow Sixth Man of the Year contender Eric Gordon to give Houston perhaps the NBA's top offensive second-unit backcourt pairing. Though coach Mike D'Antoni's up-tempo offense figures to be an excellent fit for Williams, his season averages of 18.6 points, 3.2 assists, 2.1 three-pointers, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 24.2 minutes per game nonetheless stand to take a hit, as it's unlikely he'll benefit from the high usage rates he enjoyed with the Lakers while James Harden is around. That being said, if Williams can ultimately hold down a 20-to-25-minute role, he should still be able to hit the low double figures in scoring with regularity while providing beneficial production beyond the arc and at the free-throw line.

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