SFC: Warriors nab guard Williams from Nets

SFGate
Warriors stay active
Golden State nabs guard Williams from Nets
Rusty Simmons, Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 23, 2008


(07-22) 18:46 PDT -- The Warriors filled their most visible hole
Tuesday, acquiring former University of Connecticut point guard Marcus
Williams from New Jersey for a future, conditional first-round pick.

Williams is a big guard (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) with good ballhandling
skills, court vision and a pass-first mentality, all of which should
help slightly built Monta Ellis with his transition from starting
shooting guard to the point.

"We are happy to add a player like Marcus to our roster," Warriors
vice president Chris Mullin said in a news release. "We felt that we
needed to acquire another point guard and a player who is capable of
running our offense and expanding our depth. We feel that Marcus can
contribute to our cause next season."

Warriors officials said Williams probably will be in the Bay Area on
Thursday, and New Jersey officials spelled out a number of
stipulations on the draft choice in the deal.

If the Warriors make the playoffs in 2011, the Nets would get that non-
lottery choice. If not, New Jersey would get the pick in 2012 (so long
as it's not between pick Nos. 1-11) or 2013 (protected against picks
1-10). If the pick can't be used by then, New Jersey gets second-round
picks in 2013 and 2015.

Williams has averaged 6.4 points and three assists a game in two NBA
seasons, was named to the 2006-07 All-Rookie Team and showed marked
improvement with his three-point shooting touch last season - jumping
from 28.2 to 38 percent. He was widely considered the top point guard
in the 2006 draft, but questions about his character and work ethic
caused him to slip to New Jersey at No. 22.

Though the trade for Williams and Friday's signing of center Ronny
Turiaf complete the Warriors' two-deep depth chart, the moves don't
mean the month of comings-and-goings is over.

There's still more than a week left in a month that started with Baron
Davis bolting to the Los Angeles Clippers, continued with contract
offers to Elton Brand, Gilbert Arenas and Corey Maggette (only
Maggette accepted) and led to the two most recent transactions. And
there are still some pressing questions.

The Warriors have until Friday to decide whether to match the
Clippers' multiyear offer sheet, believed to be worth about $3 million
a season, to Kelenna Azubuike. Mullin has offered little indication
which way the team is leaning, saying Saturday, "The decision could
very easily go down to (Friday). We're looking at other things in the
meantime."

Tuesday's trade could be read either way with Williams' contract -
about $1.2 million - leaving the Warriors enough money under the
salary cap to match Azubuike's offer, or as an indication that Golden
State is set to let Azubuike leave.

There is less room for interpretation on the other two big issues of
the offseason. The Warriors have made it clear that they plan to re-
sign Ellis and center Andris Biedrins, who are restricted free agents.
Mullin said contract talks are "ongoing."

Williams file

Name: Marcus Williams
Age: 22 Height: 6-foot-3 Weight: 205
Position: Point guard College: Connecticut
Highlight: Averaged 20 points and 8.8 assists a game in the 2006 NCAA
Tournament, including scoring 26 and assisting on the overtime-forcing
shot in UConn's Sweet 16 win over Washington
Lowlight: Arrested in 2005 for trying to sell stolen laptops and
banished from UConn for four months while serving probation

E-mail Rusty Simmons at rsimmons.DeleteThis@sfchronicle.com.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/23/SPN911TBB7.DTL

This article appeared on page D - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle