Although former University of Wyoming standout Justin Williams wasn’t picked in Wednesday’s NBA draft, his agent said the two-time Mountain West Conference defensive player of the year will get a chance to play professionally with the Sacramento Kings.
Darren White, Williams’ agent, said the forward-center will play in the NBA’s Vegas Summer League with the Kings. There, he will join former University of Denver center Yemi Nicholson, who also accepted the Kings’ invitation to play for their summer team.
Kings coach Eric Musselman talked with White and Williams near the end of Wednesday’s draft. Musselman said Williams’ defense could be valuable to the Sacramento team.
“We talked with Coach Musselman, and he spoke very highly of (Williams),” White said.
Williams averaged 11.1 points and 11.0 rebounds as a senior and ranked No. 2 nationally with an average of 5.4 blocked shots.
Knicks: Former coach Larry Brown reportedly filed a grievance with the NBA against the team, saying New York owes him the remainder of his salary after firing him.
Brown, who claims the Knicks should pay him $40 million, filed the grievance Wednesday, the New York Daily News and New York Post reported. The Knicks, who fired the coach after one season, claim they’re not obligated to pay the full amount because Brown violated terms of his contract.
The Knicks contend Brown broke Madison Square Garden policy with his roadside interviews.
Brown’s contract had a clause that designates NBA commissioner David Stern as the arbitrator in any financial dispute he has with the Knicks.
“I’ve been requested by both sides to help arbitrate,” Stern told the New York Post. “I don’t think there’s any timetable to what we’re doing.”
Meanwhile, Isiah Thomas sounds ready to take the floor with basically the same group that won 23 games under Brown.
“I’m not here waiting for Santa Claus to come save us,” Thomas said. “I was told early on we didn’t have any money and there was no Santa Claus. And I’m not looking for this great player to come save the day for us.”
Thomas, who added the coaching reins to his role as team president last week when Brown was fired, spoke after introducing the players he chose Wednesday night with the team’s two first- round draft picks. Forward Renaldo Balkman from South Carolina was taken 20th, and Temple guard Mardy Collins went 29th.
Thomas praised Balkman’s energy on the floor, but even Balkman sounded surprised to have heard his name so early on draft night.
“I never thought in a million years I’d be here right now,” Balkman said.
Neither did many other experts. Balkman, who averaged 9.6 points last season, didn’t even appear in the draft media guide.
Collins, who is 6-foot-6, should benefit the Knicks because of his ability to defend on the perimeter, one of the team’s many weaknesses last season.
“He said some of the smaller guards had a little trouble guarding bigger guards,” Collins said. “With my height I’m able to guard some bigger guards. That’s what he said he wanted to build the team around, defense.”
Bucks: Milwaukee extended Andrew Bogut’s contract through the 2007-08 season.
They exercised the third-year option on the 7-foot center’s deal. Bogut averaged 9.8 points and seven rebounds during his rookie season.
Lakers: Forward Lamar Odom’s 6 1/2-month-old son has died, a team spokesman said.
Jayden Odom, born Dec. 15, died Wednesday night, apparently suffocating while sleeping in his crib in New York, according to John Black.
“Lamar is very distraught,” Black said. “Both he and the baby’s mother are asking that people respect their privacy at this time.”
