MOSCOW, August 19 (R-Sport) – Former New Jersey Nets point guard Marcus Williams is moving from Spain to Russia after signing a one-year deal with Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar, the Euroleague squad said Monday.
Williams, 27, spent last season with Unicaja Malaga, where he averaged 9.4 ppg and 3.3 apg in 24 Euroleague games and 8.1 ppg and 3.3 apg in the Spanish league.
The 6-foot-3 former University of Connecticut standout joins Lokomotiv as the nominal replacement for point guard Nick Calathes, who signed a two-year contract with the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this month.
“Marcus is strong, versatile player who see the court very well,” Lokomotiv coach Evgeny Pashutin said in a statement on the team’s website. “He’s got the ability to beat opponents one-on-one with command and court vision and knows how to play with teammates.”
Williams, a Los Angeles native, was picked 22nd overall by the Nets in 2006. He played two seasons in New Jersey where he averaged 6.35 ppg and 3.0 apg as a backup to new Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd.
He bounced from the Golden State Warriors to the Grizzlies before heading overseas after the 2009-10 NBA season. He has been a member of Russian squads BC Enisey Krasnoyarsk and UNICS Kazan and the Jiangsu Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Lokomotiv, which won the Eurocup last season, is entering its first Euroleague campaign, which starts October 1. Lokomotiv also plays in Russia’s VTB United League.
