The news of the Los Angeles Clippers release of C.J. Williams became official this past Friday per Shams Charania.
Recently, after expectations that C.J. Williams would be waived from our Garrett Chorpenning, it has become official that the team is parting ways with the 28-year old small forward. Williams spent time on a two-way contract this past season playing for the G-League Agua Caliente Clippers and NBA LA Clippers. Williams traveled a long road to signing his first NBA contract, and unfortunately it ended soon after.
C.J. Williams was an effective role-player in the limited time he had on the court, as Yahoo Sports Insider, Shams Charania, tweeted back when Williams’ contract negotiations were taking place.
Sources: The Clippers and forward C.J. Williams are finalizing a three-year deal, elevating Williams from a two-way deal. Williams has served as a reliable starter and reserve for L.A. this season.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 9, 2018
His career high with the Clippers came against the Memphis Grizzlies, where he scored 18 points on 70% shooting. He also hit a beautiful game-winning three-pointer in Los Angeles this past year against the Atlanta Hawks. Williams averaged 5.5 points per game on 44.2% shooting from the field.
Williams can be an effective component in any team’s roster, and should he get picked up by another team this offseason, that would be excellent. The Memphis Grizzlies need wing production and have very little cap space. They could possibly work out a low-dollar contract for Williams. The Golden State Warriors could use extra depth at the wings. Toronto could use a wing to back up Kawhi Leonard besides Danny Green, who is 31. Playing with Leonard could work wonders for Williams’ development.
Despite whatever happens next for him, it is sad to see C.J. Williams go, and not someone like Sam Dekker, especially after the journey Williams took to get his first NBA contract. Dekker performed horribly last season, and Williams can be an effective piece off the bench for any NBA team. He is a level-headed player with confidence in his ability as an NBA-caliber basketball player. Williams believes he belongs on an NBA team.