Warriors Not Picking Up Williams’ Option
By Marcus Thompson
Friday, October 31st, 2008 at 11:09 am in Uncategorized.
According to a source close to point guard Marcus Williams, the Warriors are not going to pick up the option of the third-year guard out of UConn, meaning he will become a free agent at the end of the season and the Warriors will not have to spend the just over $2 million on Williams next season.
The Warriors had until today to pick up the options for next season on Williams, guard Marco Belinelli and forward Brandan Wright. The Warriors will pick up the options the $2.7 million option on Wright and the $1.5 million option on Belinelli.
Williams, who was drafted No. 22 overall by New Jersey in 2006, was acquired by the Warriors in a trade this offseason. He was expected to back-up point guard Monta Ellis. Then he was the odds-on favorite to start when Ellis went down with an injury.
But Williams is currently the fourth-string point guard, behind undrafted rookie DeMarcus Nelson, second-year man C.J. Watson and G/F Stephen Jackson. Williams, in the mind of coach Don Nelson has been a disappointment. He didn’t play at all in the season opener.
“In some respects, it grants him his freedom, because at the end of the year he’ll be unrestricted. So that’s a good thing,” the source said. “The negative, which I think is unfair, is that there may be a mischaracterization of his talent. He hasn’t gotten any time. It’s an unfair assessment in our opinion. Maybe he didn’t pick things up right away … but with his experience, you’d think he could help this team.”
Not picking up Williams’ option is a sign the Warriors aren’t convinced he will pan out, as was the case with center Patrick O’Bryant, whose option the Warriors declined to pick up last season. This also means the Warriors might be willing to move Williams, who is making $1.2 million this season. He and beleaguered forward Al Harrington might be a package another team may be interested in. Another option is to come to a buyout agreement, or the Warriors could just waive Williams and eat the money.
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October 31st, 2008 at 11:20 am
What an utterly incompetent and pathetic organization. Dear Warriors, you don’t deserve us. -The best fans in the NBA
October 31st, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Steve C:
You could not have said it any better!
October 31st, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Just who are Don’s “guys” at this point? Tim keeps saying Nellie hates the way Wright and Belinelli play the game. Do you see evidence of that Marcus? What about Randolph?
At this point, it seems pointless to even discuss anything with or about Mullin. Clearly he’s already been marginalized and he’s always been a cipher anyway. It’s the Rowell/Nellie show from this point forward (probably has been for awhile now). Nellie talks a good game about demanding respect and loyalty from his players, but he sure doesn’t seem to display it in his own character. Sure, he’s affable, disarming, funny, etc., and wears his heart on his sleeve with his “old buddies” but he sure seems to be quietly selling Mully down the river.
The funny thing about the Rowell/Nellie pairing…Rowell likes cheap players (young), and Nellie likes reliable vets (expensive). What’s your over/under on this whole thing blowing up in Cohan’s face? 1 year?
October 31st, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Williams agent trying to spew BS. If you can not beat our CJ Watson and DeMarcus Nelson for the starting PG you should look in the mirror.
October 31st, 2008 at 2:40 pm
CJ has been here a year, its no surprise he had the upperhand. DeMarcus is a practice hero and Nellie fell in love with him, just like with Wagner, Roberson..
The agent is absolutely right. How in the world can anyone think 3 months is a long enough time to evaluate what we got here. Marcus didn’t get a fair shake.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I watcehd Williams play in the preseason, unless your counting on a guy pounding the ball for ten seconds at the top of the key to start your offense, I have no problem letting him go. He’s garbage.
As for Wright and Belinelli, at least one if not both will need to be included in the upcoming Harrington trade. They are worth more to other teams if they don’t become unrestricted free agents at the end of next year. So while Randolph and Bookie are the future warriors at those spots, it makes perfect sense to do what the W’s did.
October 31st, 2008 at 3:43 pm
was this his excuse in New Jersey too?
is this why he lost minutes to 5000 yr old Darrell Armstrong?
is this why Keyon Dooling was brought in to back up Devin Harris?
his agent would of been better off not making a statement at all about how he just hasn’t had a chance. just say they are disappointed, but that Marcus is going to continue to work hard and improve his game.
no need for the excuses.
October 31st, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Anyone defending this move is brain dead.
October 31st, 2008 at 8:03 pm
says the guy with the nick Niners in 2009
October 31st, 2008 at 8:49 pm
According the Janny Hu…
“Basketball-wise, Williams can play. Maybe not the way Nellie wants him to, but he is their best point guard. You can see it in practice and you hear it from other players. They know he’s still figuring things out, but say he also needs a chance to show what he can do.”
MWill hasn’t been given a chance because Nellie is stubborn. And now Rowell is using that excuse to save Cohan yet even more money.. Fans should be ticked off.
October 31st, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Williams still has trade value to the Warriors, this season. Expiring contracts are always acceptable, even valuable, to some teams. The issue is, as with Harrington, who could we get in exchange? Neither Tinsley nor Heinrich would help. We’d be better off keeping Al and Marcus, and getting $12 MM off the cap next year. Besides Al does hustle; and he can be a big factor at times, like he was tonight. As for Marcus, he may catch on to what Nellie wants to run in a month or two. By the end of the season, he could be contributing, too, Neither Al nor Marcus should be viewed as dead weight.
November 1st, 2008 at 8:16 am
So guaranteeing $2 million to a guy who won’t be on your roster next year is not brain dead? Like he’ll be such a hot commodity for other teams that locking him up is a plus, not a minus?
Please. He sucks.
November 1st, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Williams was given every chance in NJ but he seemed too shot happy and not a playmaker. Being from UCONN like Josh Boone the Nets were hoping he’d succeed. I’d go with Nellie on this one.
November 1st, 2008 at 2:01 pm
GM’s have 3 assets: Players, Salary Cap and Draft Picks.
Not picking up Williams option is wasting an asset.
“Oh He sucks”
Okay – he sucks. Sadly most of the NBA is overpaid. a Good franchise knows how to use players in trades while lesser franchises play power politics with their assets.
November 1st, 2008 at 2:36 pm
williams can play. if you’ve seen him in college, you’d know. you can question his motivation level, etc, but you can’t question his talent level. he was better than rudy gay when they were playing together.
i don’t understand why w’s wouldn’t pick up his option? 2 mil for another year, that’s nothing in the nba. at least give the guy another chance.
it begs the question: why even bother trading a future 1st rounder for him?
but supposedly, mullin isn’t the one pulling the trigger. this just goes to show how competent this robert rowell guy is? back to the dark age.
November 1st, 2008 at 7:25 pm
I watch williams play with NJ. You can not say that he does not have talent and can not play. He showed promise and can score. The Nets decided to go with veteran backup behind Kidd because of team expectations but they were fooling themselve about thier team expectations. Then they decided to blow up thier team. They have Devin Harris at point now and decided to go in a different direction. I thought they were going to keep Marcus. They have an extremely young team. Kenyon Dooling is one of a few vets on the team. Marcus should be given a chance. I have not seen him play while in Golden State. Maybe it is a motivation issue.
November 1st, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Why draft any players? Why not just flush the youth and get a checklist of guys that Nelson likes. I’m so freaking tired of Nellie. There’s something inherently mean-spirited about him and I don’t think he’ll ever win a championship unless he has at least four all stars on the court for the majority of the time. In the big games, against better coaches like Sloan, Jackson, Pop and even Byron Scott, he folds like a cheap suit.
November 1st, 2008 at 11:45 pm
get back to me when Marcus manages to stick with an nba team. til then he’s junk.
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:49 am
You Dumb Bastards! I am trying to get rid of Mully’s garbage aquisitions and in-still my own… I am going to make this team like the Dallas Mavericks… Randolph is my Dirk, Azubuike is my Michael Finley, and when Monta is back he is going to be my Steve Nash… CJ Watson is my Avery Johnson… and Andris Biedrins will be shooting 3′s in no time… Calm down you dumb bastards!
November 3rd, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Marcus Williams, AL, and Cap. Jack to the Jazz for Boozer and Brewer..?