Grade the deal: Knicks make curious addition, sign Williams to 2-year deal
Free-agent forward Derrick Williams has agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with the New York Knicks, reports ESPN’s Chris Broussard.
Williams, 24, spent the majority of the last two seasons with the Sacramento Kings after he was traded by the Minnesota Timberwolves, who drafted him with the No. 2 pick in the 2011 NBA draft. Williams has not yet justified that high draft status, as he is coming off a season with the Kings in which he averaged 8.3 points and 2.7 rebounds over 19.8 minutes per game.
Over 296 career games, Williams has started 92, averaging 9.3 points and 4.3 rebounds.
• MORE NBA: Free agent tracker | Grading every deal | Position rankings
After missing out on free-agent targets including Greg Monroe and DeAndre Jordan, the Knicks have managed to sign Robin Lopez, Arron Afflalo and now Williams in Phil Jackson’s first major free agency as team president.
Analysis: as much as the Knicks could use youth and athleticism, signing Williams at this price is a bit of a stretch. Keep in mind that this is a four-year player without much in the way of discernible NBA skill. His work on the drive and in face-up situations isn’t at all reliable, despite his quickness. His rebounding is troubling for a big and his range is shaky for a wing. His defense has been among the worst in the league for a rotation frontcourt player. It’s still perfectly understandable that a team like New York would want to see for themselves what Williams can offer. He had his moments in Sacramento. There just isn’t enough on record to suggest him worthy of a $10 million investment over two years. — Rob Mahoney
Grade: C+
- Mike Fiammetta
