Jason Williams coming back, signs with Orlando Magic

[CameronCrazy06]

After a year out of the game to spend more time with his family, Jason Williams will be making his NBA comeback as close to his family as possible.

The veteran point guard on Wednesday signed a one-year deal with the Orlando Magic believed to be worth the league's veteran minimum of $1.3 million, choosing the opportunity to play behind Jameer Nelson with a championship contender over a return to the Memphis Grizzlies.

"You couldn't paint a better picture," Williams said in a phone interview.

Williams signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers in August 2008 but walked away from the contract before ever playing a game for the Clippers, partly because of complications his wife faced when pregnant with their third child. The 33-year-old wound up sitting out the entire 2008-09 season when his February attempt to be reinstated -- which requires unanimous approval from the league's 30 teams to avoid a mandatory one-year waiting period -- was voted down by 24 teams to six.

The Clippers held exclusive negotiating rights with Williams through July 24 but ultimately elected to relinquish them. The New York Knicks then inherited those exclusive negotiating rights by claiming him off waivers, but Williams soon became an unrestricted free agent when the Knicks passed on him. That led to immediate interest from the Grizzlies and the Magic.

Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley has long maintained a deep fondness for Williams and urged him to come back to the team he spent four seasons with from 2001-05. Yet the chance to stay in Orlando -- having maintained a residence in the nearby community of Isleworth for nearly a decade -- was too attractive to the 10-year vet.

"We're moving forward," Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "I think Jason was serious about us. I just don't think he wanted to move his family. He gets to stay at home and contend for a championship."

Said Magic general manager Otis Smith: "Jason provides depth and leadership to our backcourt. He is a veteran point guard that knows what it takes to help us reach our ultimate goal."

Williams told ESPN.com that he feels "rejuvenated" physically from the year away and grateful to be making his return to the game in Florida after helping the Miami Heat win a championship in 2005-06 in a season that began with Orlando's Stan Van Gundy as his head coach.

In 10 seasons with Sacramento, Memphis and Miami, Williams has averaged 11.4 points and 6.3 assists, gradually delivering steadiness on a consistent basis as he got older after breaking in with a flashy but risky floor game that earned him the nickname of "White Chocolate."

Asked to reflect on his career to date, factoring in the highs in Miami and his status as an instant darling in Sacramento as well as his multiple suspensions in college and occasional controversies in the NBA, Williams said: "Let me tell you this: If I could go all the way back [to the beginning], I wouldn't do a damn thing different. I know I messed up here and there along the way, but those things I didn't do right helped me become the person I am now."

Williams is merely the latest new arrival in an active offseason for the reigning Eastern Conference champions, with Smith clearly unafraid to tinker with the supporting cast around his All-Star trio of Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Nelson.

Since reaching the NBA Finals for just the second time in franchise history, Orlando has traded for former All-Star swingman Vince Carter, signed free-agent forward Brandon Bass, matched a five-year, $34 million offer sheet to restricted free agent Marcin Gortat and added Matt Barnes, Williams and Ryan Anderson (acquired in the Carter trade) in place of the exiting Hedo Turkoglu, Courtney Lee, Tony Battie and Rafer Alston.

 

[Grandy28]

This was already posted in the nba free agency thread. But none-the-less a decent signing by the Magic, should be a good player off the bench.

 

[Pugz]

Yea this isn't really worthy of it's own thread so I posted in the Free Agency thread. But this does help them, he isn't part of Orlando's youth like CJ Watson could have been but I think they did better by signing JWill.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Yea this isn't really worthy of it's own thread so I posted in the Free Agency thread. But this does help them, he isn't part of Orlando's youth like CJ Watson could have been but I think they did better by signing JWill.

It's more worthy than a lot of other stuff that's been posted; it's a significant name coming back after calling it quits last season.

 

[Pugz]

It's more worthy than a lot of other stuff that's been posted; it's a significant name coming back after calling it quits last season.

He retired then wanted back a month later. Plus if it was up to me a lot of these threads wouldn't be posted as threads because I'd have them in the discussion thread and or free agency thread.. that's Mexi's call though.

 

[RipCity32]

Good pick-up for the Magic. Replaces the gap they had without Alston.

 

[elcheato]

Shot under 40% two years ago when he last played, doubt he got better so I don't see how this is a good move lol. Probably wont play much anyway

 

[Grandy28]

Shot under 40% two years ago when he last played, doubt he got better so I don't see how this is a good move lol. Probably wont play much anyway

Who do you think is better, Anthony Johnson or Jason Williams?

 

[elcheato]

Who do you think is better, Anthony Johnson or Jason Williams?

Probably Anthony Johnson.

On Thursday, Jason Williams held a rather disappointing workout with the Memphis Grizzlies, sources tell RealGM's Alex Kennedy.

One witness described Williams as "a shadow of his former self" and said that while the point guard was in shape, he didn't perform well.

During a shooting drill in which each shot was charted, Williams shot an awful thirty percent from the field.

Sources say Grizzlies' general manager Chris Wallace is up in the air about signing Williams but owner Michael Heisley is very interested in bringing him back to Memphis.

Williams played four seasons with the Grizzlies before joining the Miami Heat in 2005.

 

[Grandy28]

I'm not saying Jason Williams is going to be great, but I think he'll be a decent player off the bench. He doesn't have to score on this team or make plays.

 

[RipCity32]

They already got enough scoring in Orlando, Williams specialty is passing, like Alston.

 

[Pugz]

Yea cheato quit hating so much. It's not like they signed him thinking he will be the old "White Chocolate", they signed him to be a third point guard and come in and play a solid 10MPG. This just adds to the fact Orlando has had one of the best off-seasons.

 

[elcheato]

The 3rd point guard plays 10 minutes a game? Lol.

Yea I'm sure, best off-season. Adding a selfish player to play along side of one of the more immature players in the league in Howard, that wont mesh well. Maybe they can rival the Lakers when they win 80 games this year?

 

[Grandy28]

The 3rd point guard plays 10 minutes a game? Lol.

Yea I'm sure, best off-season. Adding a selfish player to play along side of one of the more immature players in the league in Howard, that wont mesh well. Maybe they can rival the Lakers when they win 80 games this year?

The Magic are in a good position to return to the finals. They lost Hedo, but got VC, lost Alston, but got J-Will and added Brandon Bass and Matt Barnes. They are deep.

 

[.GR]

This deserved a thead, it's f-cking White Chocolate! Solid pickup.

 

[Pugz]

Cheato you have to be the biggest homer on SI next to VC. You have your head up your teams ass so far you won't even look past the fact that teams are better then yours. And LA will rival the Bulls but that doesn't mean 80 games you idiot.

 

[elcheato]

Cheato you have to be the biggest homer on SI next to VC. You have your head up your teams ass so far you won't even look past the fact that teams are better then yours. And LA will rival the Bulls but that doesn't mean 80 games you idiot.

Yea I'm a homer because I see how a selfish player isn't going to work on a team that needs to move the ball around.... You're going to look like the biggest idiot on the forums when LA doesn't come close to the Bulls and the Magic finish behind the Cavs and Celtics by a wide margin this year. People want to talk about what the Magic gained, while they lost a lot. The Cavs added Shaq, Anthony Parker, Jamario Moon and Leon Powe, without giving up anything worth while, adding to a 66 win team. And the Magic beat the Cavs because of a miss match that favored them, that they no longer have.

 

[Mexi]

Lakers/Spurs/Magic/Cavs/Celtics have signed 90% of the free agents

 

[RipCity32]

Lakers/Spurs/Magic/Cavs/Celtics have signed 90% of the free agents

How true haha.

Detroit covers the last 10%

 

[Mexi]

i'll do the real math later lol