NBA Rumors: Is Derrick Williams Leaving NY Knicks to Join Miami Heat?

Jul 13, 2016 09:26 AM EDT

Derrick Williams is officially no longer a free agent after signing a contract with the Miami Heat. According to reports, the former New York Knicks forward had agreed to a one-year deal worth $5 million.

Williams became a free agent earlier this year after opting out of his contract with the Knicks. Joining the Knicks is the fourth time Williams moved to a different team. Before becoming a Knicks player, he previously spent time with the Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves.

News about Williams joining the Heat was confirmed by the team after it posted a photo of the athlete signing a contract.

"Making it official," the team tweeted.

 

The Heat also issued a press release detailing Williams' achievements and experiences in the NBA.

"Williams, a 6'8", 240-pound power forward, has appeared in 376 regular season games (101 starts) during a five-year career and has averaged 9.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 21.4 minutes while shooting 43.3 percent from the floor, 29.9 percent from three-point range and 71.5 percent from the foul line," the team said in a statement according to SB Nation.

"Last season as a member of the New York Knicks, Williams appeared in a career-high 80 games (nine starts) and averaged 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 17.9 minutes while shooting a career-high 45 percent from the floor, 29.3 percent from the three-point range and 75.8 percent from the foul line," Miami added.

According to Yahoo! Sports, Williams really wanted to become a free agent to increase his chances of signing with a different team. As noted by the news site, now that he's in Miami, Williams will show the league what he's got in order to increase his value in preparation for the free agency market in 2017.

Williams is the latest addition to the Heat roster. It seems getting the free agent is still part of Miami's strategy to build up its roster after losing Dwayne Wade to the Chicago Bulls. But aside from Wade, another player that might not be able to join the team for next season is Chris Bosch. According to reports, it is not yet clear if he will be able to play due to the blood clot in his leg.