The Los Angeles Lakers announced the signing of Derrick Williams to a 10-day contract. The former No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 Draft just completed a season in the Chinese Basketball Association.
He averaged 20 points and 6.6 rebounds for Tianjin, whom Williams joined after going unsigned as a free agent during the past offseason. After being released by the Miami Heat, he closed out the 2017 season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Williams averaged 6.2 points and 2.3 rebounds, and shot 50.5 percent from the field in 25 games with Cleveland. Over his career, the University of Arizona product has averaged 8.9 points and four rebounds.
In addition to Heat and Cavaliers, Williams has played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings and New York Knicks.
Lakers head coach Luke Walton intimated earlier this week that the team was looking at wing players to potentially sign, because of injuries to Josh Hart and Brandon Ingram. Williams joins Nigel Hayes and Travis Wear as players to sign a 10-day contract with the Lakers this season.
He’s with the team in Denver and available to play, but might be unlikely to do so Friday night against the Nuggets due to a lack of time to become familiar with the system. If not in the road game, Williams could make his Lakers debut on Sunday against some of his former Cavaliers teammates.