NBA Trade Deadline: Cavaliers interested in Lakers guard Lou Williams

The Los Angeles Lakers (19-38) are shopping veteran guard Lou Williams ahead of the Feb. 23 NBA Trade Deadline, per fresh reports. The Cleveland Cavaliers (38-16), a team that is expected to remain extremely active closer to the deadline, is reportedly interested in the former Sixth Man of the Year.

Williams leads the Lakers in scoring this season, averaging a career-high tally of 18.5 points, 3.2 assists and 2.3 rebounds from just 24.2 minutes per game. The 30-year-old, along with Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon, is the frontrunner to win the Sixth Man prize for his consistent and efficient scoring off the bench. Lakers coach Luke Walton has regularly kept Williams on the floor to close out games, deferring to the guard when the team needs clutch baskets.

Since the Lakers have a clear-cut vision to build around the young core of D'Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Ivica Zubac, Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson, Williams is the odd man out as the team looks to return to prominence after missing the playoffs for three consecutive years. One thing is for certain, the Lakers trade chatter is restricted to veterans such as Williams, Nick Young, Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov.

Lou Williams trade: Cleveland Cavaliers are interested

According to Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype, the Cavs are in the market for a guard like Williams, who could be available for the right price. "Teams that are looking for a reserve point guard (hello, Cleveland!) are in luck. That’s because there are a number of such players on the market at the moment.

"In this recent video, I mentioned that the Los Angeles Lakers may look to trade Lou Williams and/or Nick Young. On Tuesday, a general manager confirmed that the Lakers have, in fact, shopped Williams and seem likely to move him prior to the deadline," Kennedy noted in his report.

The report added that the Lakers will boost their chances of holding onto their top-3 protected draft pick by trading away veterans like Lou Williams and Nick Young, who have essentially helped Los Angeles rack up 19 wins this season. Upon trading the veterans, coach Luke Walton can focus on developing the youngsters, who hold the keys to the team's future going forward.

Lou Williams addressed the trade chatter during a conversation with Serena Winters of LakersNation.com: "Just go out and hoop, let the powers that be deal with it." Will the Cavs pull off a Lou Williams trade? What would they be willing to offer? Stay tuned for the latest news and updates on the NBA Trade Deadline.