Lou Williams Opts Out of Contract, Will Become Free Agent


Philadelphia 76ers guard Lou Williams, who led the team in scoring and finished second in the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year voting this past season, will opt out of his contract and become a free agent July 1. Philly.com has the details: “Williams, 25, was due $6.39 million next season. While Williams is opting out of his deal, it does not guarantee that he will not return to the team. Under the terms of the new collective bargain agreement, if the Sixers wanted to sign Williams to an extension before his contract expired at the end of next season they would only have been able to extend him for three more seasons. Now they can offer him a five-year deal while other teams can only offer Williams four years. ‘I know Lou loves the fans, the city, the organization, his teammates and has the utmost respect for coach Collins and his staff,’ Rose said Saturday night. ‘Based on what Lou has done in terms of production on the court, leadership and excepting his role off the bench for the betterment of the team, I also believe the Sixers will step up to keep him like they did last summer with Thad [Young].'”