Hawks guard Lou Williams was averaging 14.1 points per game this season after signing as a free agent. (David Sherman/Getty Images)

Atlants Hawks guard Lou Williams will miss the remainder of the season after tearing the ACL in his right knee, the team has announced.

Williams, the longtime Sixer who signed a three-year, $16-million contract to play in his hometown Atlanta this offseason, suffered the injury during a game against the Nets on Friday. He was a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, averaging 14.1 points and 3.6 assists off the bench for the 22-17 Hawks.

An X-ray on Friday was negative, but an MRI on Saturday afternoon revealed the tear, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution‘s Chris Vivlamore.

The Hawks lost Williams with 7:12 remaining in the second quarter with an initial diagnosis of a right knee sprain pending further tests. Williams was driving to the basket and pulled up without contact. He screamed out several times as he continued off the court without putting weight on his leg. After lying down in the entryway to the arena to be attended to by Hawks trainers, Williams was taken to the locker room in a wheelchair.

The Hawks’ guard rotation features starters Jeff Teague and Devin Harris, both point guards, along with shooting guard Deshawn Stephenson.

Lou Williams will reportedly sign a multi-year contract with the Atlanta Hawks, according to a tweet on Tuesday afternoon from Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.

Williams took to Twitter on July 6 to let his fans know that he would not be returning to the Philadelphia 76ers, the team that drafted him 45th in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft. Considered to be one of the steals from that draft, Williams spent his entire NBA career up until now in Philadelphia.

He was widely considered to be one of the top candidates for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award last year, which ended up being given to James Harden of the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 64 games off the bench last season, Williams averaged 14.9 points and 3.5 assists in 26 minutes per game. He made $5.3 million with the Sixers last season.

The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to a deal with free agent G Lou Williams, a source told ESPN.com. Story posted soon.—
Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 10, 2012

Philly, I appreciate you all. Unfortunately I will not be coming back, as an organization they decided to move in a different direction.—
Lou Williams (@TeamLou23) July 06, 2012

On a busy day for the Philadelphia 76ers, guard Lou Williams, who finished second in voting for the Sixth Man of the Year, said he will not be returning to the team next season.

Philly, I appreciate you all. Unfortunately I will not be coming back, as an organization they decided to move in a different direction.

—
Lou Williams (@TeamLou23) July 06, 2012

Williams opted out of his contract after the season and became a free agent. His exit from Philadelphia appeared likely after the 76ers agreed to a deal with guard Nick Young earlier Friday.

Williams scored 14.9 points per game off the bench this season and has averaged double-digit scoring over the past five seasons. He could bring instant offense off the bench for contender or start for teams in need of increased production at the shooting guard position.

Lou Williams is the latest addition to the NBA free agent class of 2012. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s John Mitchell reports via Twitter that the guard will opt out of the final year of his deal with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Lou Williams agent Leon Rose confirms that Williams has opted out of the final year of his deal.—
john mitchell (@JmitchInquirer) June 17, 2012

Though doing so does put Williams on the open market, the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement with the players gives the Sixers the upper hand in negotiations. The team is allowed to offer Williams a new five-year contract, two years more than other teams are allowed. Had Philadelphia extended Williams’ deal, they could only have done so for an additional three years.

Williams is coming off perhaps his best season as a professional, in which he averaged a career-best 14.9 points per game. The Sixers surprised many observers with their strong play in 2011-2012, earning a playoff berth and winning their first round series against the Chicago Bulls before falling to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Lou Williams plans to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Philadelphia 76ers and become an unrestricted free agent, a league source tells John N. Mitchell and Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Williams has been the Sixers’ leading scorer this season with 14.9 points per game, but he’s yet to crack into the starting five, and Philly has collapsed this season with 21 losses in its last 34 games.

“He’s indicated that he’s not going to pick up his option,” the source tells the Inquirer. “All indications are that he’s going to opt out.”

Williams is due $6.4 million next season if he remains with the Sixers.

“He has not said what he will do, but we will react to that when the time comes,” Sixers GM Rod Thorn said.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Lou Williams showed his Christmas cheer this weekend by talking down an armed gunman and treating him to McDonalds, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

Williams told the paper that he was accosted by a man with a gun while in his car on Christmas Eve. The six-year veteran was reportedly able to talk the would-be assailant out of the robbery and diffused the situation. According to Williams, the gunman recognized him.

“A guy tried to rob me but decided not to because of whatever I do in the community,” Williams told the Philadelphia Daily News.

“There’s crime everywhere,” Williams continued. “I was debating whether to pull off or help the guy. The gun was already out. He did all the talking and we came up with a solution before I could really say much. I treated him to McDonald’s.”

Last season in 75 games Williams averaged 13.7 points and 3.4 assists per game as a key reserve for Philadelphia. In the club’s opening game of this season, Williams scored 25 points in 27 minutes of play.