Derrick Williams (basketball) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Derrick Williams

Williams with Fenerbahçe in 2019
No. 10 – Mets de Guaynabo
Power forward
Personal information
Born	(1991-05-25) May 25, 1991 (age 34) Bellflower, California, U.S.
High school	La Mirada (La Mirada, California)
Listed height	6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight	240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
College	Arizona (2009–2011)
NBA Draft	2011 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall
Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves
Pro career	2011–present
League	Baloncesto Superior Nacional
Career history
2011–2013	Minnesota Timberwolves
2013–2015	Sacramento Kings
2015–2016	New York Knicks
2016–2017	Miami Heat
2017	Cleveland Cavaliers
2017–2018	Tianjin Gold Lions
2018	Los Angeles Lakers
2018–2019	Bayern Munich
2019–2020	Fenerbahçe
2020–2021	Valencia
2021–2022	Maccabi Tel Aviv
2022–2023	Panathinaikos
2025–present	Mets de Guaynabo
Career highlights and awards
NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2012) Greek League All-Star (2022) Turkish Cup winner (2020) Turkish All-Star (2020) German BBL champion (2019) Consensus second-team All-American (2011) Pac-10 Player of the Year (2011) 2× First-team All-Pac-10 (2010, 2011) Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (2010)

Derrick LeRon Williams (born May 25, 1991) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Mets de Guaynabo in Puerto Rico. Derrick played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats from 2009 to 2011. He was chosen as the second overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2011 NBA draft.

Derrick played for the Timberwolves for two and a half seasons. He then joined the Sacramento Kings in 2013. After playing for the Kings, he signed with the New York Knicks in 2015. He later played for the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the Cavaliers, he reached the 2017 NBA Finals. Derrick has also played for several teams overseas since 2018.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Derrick Williams was born in Bellflower, California. He went to La Mirada High School in California.

College Basketball Career

Williams first planned to play basketball at the University of Southern California. However, he was recruited by coach Sean Miller to play for the University of Arizona.

Freshman Year Success

In his first year (2009–10), Williams was a standout player. He scored about 15.7 points and grabbed 7.1 rebounds per game. He was very accurate with his shots, making 57.5% of them. Derrick was named a freshman All-American and the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year.

Sophomore Year Highlights

Williams with Arizona in 2011

Williams became even more famous in his second year. He averaged 19.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. He led the NCAA in shooting accuracy with a 59.5% field goal percentage. His great play helped the Arizona Wildcats win the PAC-10 championship. Williams was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year.

Derrick also helped the Wildcats in the 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. He made a key block against Memphis and a crucial 3-point play against the Texas Longhorns. He scored a career-high 32 points and had 13 rebounds in a big win over #1-seeded Duke. The Wildcats made it to the Elite Eight before losing to Connecticut. After this season, he was expected to be a top pick in the NBA draft.

Sophomore Year Awards

• Pac-10 Player of the Year
• All-Pac-10 first team
• USBWA District IX Player of the Year
• Wooden Award's 10-player All-America team (2011)
• First-team All-American by Sports Illustrated
• Second-team All-American by the Associated Press (2011)

Professional Basketball Career

Minnesota Timberwolves (2011–2013)

Williams decided to enter the NBA draft on April 13, 2011. The Minnesota Timberwolves selected him as the second overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. During an NBA lockout, he took summer classes at the University of Arizona to finish his degree. He also signed an endorsement deal with Under Armour.

Williams played in the 2012 Rising Stars Challenge. He also participated in the 2012 NBA All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contest. He scored a season-high 27 points against the Los Angeles Clippers in February 2012. In March 2013, he scored a career-high 28 points against the New Orleans Hornets.

Sacramento Kings (2013–2015)

Williams with the Kings in 2013

On November 26, 2013, Williams was traded to the Sacramento Kings. He scored 12 points in his first game with the Kings. On December 9, 2013, Williams scored a career-high 31 points in a win over the Dallas Mavericks. In his last game of the 2014–15 season, he scored 22 points against the Los Angeles Lakers.

New York Knicks (2015–2016)

Williams signed with the New York Knicks on July 9, 2015. In his first game for the Knicks, he scored 24 points. On January 12, 2016, he had 15 points and 10 rebounds against the Boston Celtics. The next day, he tied his career-high of 31 points in a game against the Brooklyn Nets.

Miami Heat (2016–2017)

On July 10, 2016, Williams joined the Miami Heat. He played in 25 games before being released by the team in February 2017.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2017)

Williams signed a 10-day contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 9, 2017. He scored 12 points in his first game with Cleveland. He later signed a contract to play for the rest of the season. The Cavaliers made it to the 2017 NBA Finals, but they lost to the Golden State Warriors.

Playing Overseas (2017–2023)

Williams began playing for international teams in late 2017.

Tianjin Gold Lions (2017–2018)

On December 28, 2017, Williams signed with the Tianjin Gold Lions in China. He averaged 20.0 points and 6.6 rebounds in 15 games.

Los Angeles Lakers (2018)

Williams briefly returned to the NBA, signing a 10-day contract with the Los Angeles Lakers on March 9, 2018. After the contract ended, he left the team.

Bayern Munich (2018–2019)

On October 3, 2018, Williams signed with Bayern Munich in Germany. He averaged 13.4 points in the EuroLeague. He helped Bayern win the German BBL championship in 2019.

Fenerbahçe (2019–2020)

Williams signed a one-year contract with Fenerbahçe in Turkey on July 18, 2019.

Valencia (2020–2021)

On July 8, 2020, Williams signed with Valencia Basket in Spain.

Maccabi Tel Aviv (2021–2022)

Williams signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel on June 30, 2021. He averaged 9.6 points per game. He left the team in June 2022.

Panathinaikos (2022–2023)

On July 15, 2022, Williams signed with Panathinaikos in Greece. He averaged 12.4 points in EuroLeague games. He left the team in July 2023.

Mets de Guaynabo (2025-Present)

Williams signed with the Guaynabo Mets in Puerto Rico in 2025. He plays under his former teammate Jose Juan Barea. As of March 2025, he averaged 14.0 points per game. He received a fine and a two-game suspension for disciplinary reasons in April 2025.

Career Statistics

NBA Statistics

Regular Season

Playoffs

EuroLeague Statistics

College Statistics