Reggie Williams Signs 1-year Deal with Miami Heat

After a hectic 2013–14 season, NBA small forward and VMI alumnus Reggie Williams is returning to basketball in the U.S. Williams inked a one-year deal with the Miami Heat last Thursday, worth the league's minimum of slightly under $1 million. Since May of this year, he had been playing with the San Miguel Beermen of the Philippine Basketball Association. In parts of five NBA seasons, Williams has played for three teams, as well as two international stints in Spain and France.

Williams had an incredible career as a Keydet from 2004 to 2008, scoring 2,556 career points which was the most in history by any VMI player, and tops among all Virginia college basketball players. He led the NCAA in scoring twice in his career, peaking in his junior season with 28.1 points per game. He is fifth all-time on the school's rebounding list, and seventh in assists.

Following his graduation from VMI, Williams continued his basketball career with JDA Dijon (France), and in 2009 he signed a contract with the NBA D-League's Sioux Falls Skyforce. He averaged over 26.4 PPG with Sioux Falls, and was selected as a D-League All-Star. Williams was picked up by the Golden State Warriors in March of 2010, and after being signed to several 10-day contracts, Williams was signed for the remainder of the year as well as the next season. In 24 games, Williams averaged 15.2 PPG for the Warriors that season.

In December of 2011, Williams was picked up by the Charlotte Bobcats before the start of the lockout-shortened NBA season, a deal worth $5 million for two years. His numbers declined heavily, and he appeared in only 73 games in that span. During training camp prior to the 2013-14 season, Williams was signed by the Houston Rockets to a multi-year deal, but was waived later in October. After returning to the D-League with the Tulsa 66ers, the Oklahoma City Thunder called him up on another 10-day contract, and Williams lingered with the team for the remainder of the year. He averaged 3.7 points in three games with the Thunder this past season.

Now, with the departure of All-Star and face of of the league LeBron James from Miami, as well as James Jones and possibly Ray Allen leaving the team, Williams will have a chance to compete for a roster spot this preseason. He will likely compete with Danny Granger and James Ennis for a backup role, and with a largely undefined Heat roster, Williams may have what it takes to find himself on the court again this winter.