# Derrick Williams (basketball)
**Derrick Williams** (born 1991) is an American professional basketball player, a 6-foot-8, 240-pound power forward and small forward who was selected second overall by the [Minnesota Timberwolves](https://www.edgepedia.org/minnesota-timberwolves) in the 2011 NBA Draft after two seasons at the [University of Arizona](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-arizona)[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willide02.html). He played seven NBA seasons with five teams, then rebuilt his career in the [EuroLeague](https://www.edgepedia.org/euroleague) and across Asia, and is frequently cited as an example of a high draft pick who did not meet expectations[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willide02.html) • [2](https://hoopsmatic.com/career-maps/player/derrick-williams.html).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1991, Bellflower, California; 6-8, 240 lb (203 cm, 108 kg)[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willide02.html) |
| Draft | 2011 NBA Draft, first round, second overall, Minnesota Timberwolves[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willide02.html) |
| College | Arizona, 2009–2011; 2011 Pac-10 Player of the Year; 17.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game over two seasons[3](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/2011/6/23/207969016) |
| NBA career | 428 games, 8.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.7 assists per game; 43.4% field goals, 30.0% on three-pointers; 2011-12 All-Rookie second team[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willide02.html) |
| NBA teams | Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers[2](https://hoopsmatic.com/career-maps/player/derrick-williams.html) |
| EuroLeague clubs | Bayern Munich, Fenerbahçe, Valencia, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Panathinaikos[2](https://hoopsmatic.com/career-maps/player/derrick-williams.html) |
| Career earnings | At least $30,882,096 in professional basketball[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willide02.html) |
## College career at Arizona
Williams was a lightly recruited prospect out of La Mirada High School in California, ranked 100th nationally in the 2009 recruiting class[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willide02.html) • [4](https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2011-jun-21-la-sp-derrick-williams-20110622-story.html). He played mostly in the post during his two seasons under coach [Sean Miller](https://www.edgepedia.org/sean-miller)[4](https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2011-jun-21-la-sp-derrick-williams-20110622-story.html).
His sophomore season of 2010-11 made him a top pick. He led Arizona with 19.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game on .595 shooting (226-of-380), scored in double figures 37 times, and posted 13 double-doubles[3](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/2011/6/23/207969016). He was named the 2011 Pacific-10 Conference and USBWA District IX Player of the Year, and his 741 points were the third-highest single-season total in school history[3](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/2011/6/23/207969016). His .568 three-point percentage (42-of-74) ranked second in Arizona annals, and his 247 free throws and 331 attempts set single-season school records[3](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/2011/6/23/207969016).
In the 2011 NCAA tournament, Williams scored a career-high 32 points with 13 rebounds as Arizona edged top-seeded Duke in the Sweet 16[5](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2525353-are-ny-knicks-the-last-chance-for-former-no-2-pick-derrick-williams). Over 69 career appearances he averaged 17.8 points and 7.7 rebounds and finished with 1,227 points, 27th on the school's career list[3](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/2011/6/23/207969016).
## NBA career
The Timberwolves selected Williams second overall in the 2011 draft, matching the highest draft slot ever for an Arizona player, equal to [Mike Bibby](https://www.edgepedia.org/mike-bibby)'s second pick in 1998[3](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/2011/6/23/207969016). His agent, [Rob Pelinka](https://www.edgepedia.org/rob-pelinka), had guaranteed him either the first pick to [Cleveland](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland) or the second to Minnesota[4](https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2011-jun-21-la-sp-derrick-williams-20110622-story.html).
In Minnesota he was a reserve behind [Kevin Love](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-love) at power forward and never approached his draft slot's expectations. Over 155 games in two and a half seasons he averaged 8.6 points and 4.2 rebounds[6](https://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/how-will-derrick-williams-be-remembered). Owner [Glen Taylor](https://www.edgepedia.org/glen-taylor) said publicly in 2014 that Williams was "a gifted player, but for some reason one that doesn't aspire to maybe get to the level that we think a No. 2 draft choice should get to"[7](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2498721-10-nba-draft-busts-whose-careers-could-still-be-resurrected).
Traded to Sacramento in 2013, he later signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the [New York Knicks](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-knicks) in 2015, a deal SI.com called "curious" for a player widely considered a bust[5](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2525353-are-ny-knicks-the-last-chance-for-former-no-2-pick-derrick-williams). The 2015-16 season with the Knicks was his most efficient: he drew 10.0 free-throw attempts per 100 possessions, 12th in the NBA among players with at least 400 minutes and by far a career high[8](https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/derrick-williams-as-weight-of-being-no-2-pick-wanes-thriving-with-knicks). He finished his NBA career with stops in Miami, Cleveland, and a 10-day contract with the [Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.edgepedia.org/los-angeles-lakers) in 2018[2](https://hoopsmatic.com/career-maps/player/derrick-williams.html) • [9](https://fansided.com/2019/09/11/nba-draft-bust-week-derrick-williams-arizona/). His final line over 428 games was 8.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willide02.html).
## Why the NBA career fell short
The draft case rested on an outlier shooting season and physical tools. Williams shot 56.8 percent from three-point range on 74 attempts as a college sophomore, a small sample that inflated his stock, and he was marketed as a versatile defender able to guard three positions[9](https://fansided.com/2019/09/11/nba-draft-bust-week-derrick-williams-arizona/).
The shooting never translated: he made 30.0 percent of his three-point attempts in the NBA[1](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willide02.html). The defensive side undid him more. He had the length and agility to stay with bigger wings on one-on-one drives, but he struggled to recognize plays as they developed, and late rotations and poor awareness off the ball made him a liability; in practice he was limited to defending one position rather than three[9](https://fansided.com/2019/09/11/nba-draft-bust-week-derrick-williams-arizona/). He remained a useful offensive player through his finishing and slashing, even as his role shrank[9](https://fansided.com/2019/09/11/nba-draft-bust-week-derrick-williams-arizona/).
Fit also worked against him. Minnesota drafted him second overall to back up Kevin Love, a star at his natural position, which limited his playing time and touches from the start[10](https://thevideoscope.com/2017/06/20/nba-draft-lottery-07-11-bust-boom/).
## Europe and later career
Williams moved to China with the Tianjin Gold Lions in 2017-18, then joined Bayern Munich, where his first EuroLeague season produced 13.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 29 games and kept the team in the playoff hunt until the penultimate round[2](https://hoopsmatic.com/career-maps/player/derrick-williams.html) • [11](https://admin.euroleague.net/news/i/a6jxhnwg6ssgsnlb/derrick-williams-fenerbahce-they-brought-me-here-with-open-arms). He was named EuroLeague Round 12 MVP in the 2018-19 season[12](https://admin.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=009006&seasoncode=E2019).
He then played for Fenerbahçe Beko Istanbul under coach [Željko Obradović](https://www.edgepedia.org/zeljko-obradovic), Valencia, Maccabi Tel Aviv, and Panathinaikos, becoming a four-season EuroLeague veteran by 2021-22[11](https://admin.euroleague.net/news/i/a6jxhnwg6ssgsnlb/derrick-williams-fenerbahce-they-brought-me-here-with-open-arms) • [13](https://maccabi.co.il/player.asp?PlayerID=1001&cType=2&cYear=2022&lang=en). Commentators noted that the move to a full-time big role in Europe let him play to his strengths as a finisher, a skill set that had not been enough at the NBA level[9](https://fansided.com/2019/09/11/nba-draft-bust-week-derrick-williams-arizona/).
His career since has spanned clubs and continents: [Mets de Guaynabo](https://www.edgepedia.org/mets-de-guaynabo-basketball) in Puerto Rico in 2025, Suwon KT Sonicboom in South Korea in 2025-26, and AEK Athens in Greece from 2026, giving him 15 clubs in 9 countries by one career map[2](https://hoopsmatic.com/career-maps/player/derrick-williams.html). Sources differ on his most recent club: RealGM lists Suwon KT Sonicboom as his current team, while HoopsMatic lists AEK Athens[14](https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Derrick-Williams/International/6644/Career/By_Split) • [2](https://hoopsmatic.com/career-maps/player/derrick-williams.html).
## References
1. [Derrick Williams Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more, Basketball-Reference](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willide02.html)
2. [Where has Derrick Williams played? Every Team, City and Country, HoopsMatic](https://hoopsmatic.com/career-maps/player/derrick-williams.html)
3. [Williams No. 2 Overall Selection in 2011 NBA Draft, University of Arizona Athletics](https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/2011/6/23/207969016)
4. [Derrick Williams will be front and center/forward in NBA draft, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2011-jun-21-la-sp-derrick-williams-20110622-story.html)
5. [Are NY Knicks the Last Chance for Former No. 2 Pick Derrick Williams?, Bleacher Report](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2525353-are-ny-knicks-the-last-chance-for-former-no-2-pick-derrick-williams)
6. [How Will Derrick Williams Be Remembered?, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/timberwolves/news/how-will-derrick-williams-be-remembered)
7. [10 NBA Draft Busts Whose Careers Could Still Be Resurrected, Bleacher Report](https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2498721-10-nba-draft-busts-whose-careers-could-still-be-resurrected)
8. [Derrick Williams, as weight of being No. 2 pick wanes, thriving with Knicks, NBC Sports](https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/derrick-williams-as-weight-of-being-no-2-pick-wanes-thriving-with-knicks)
9. [NBA Draft Bust Week: Derrick Williams was a beast, until he wasn't, FanSided](https://fansided.com/2019/09/11/nba-draft-bust-week-derrick-williams-arizona/)
10. [NBA Draft Busts and Booms (Part 1, 2007-2011), The VideoScope](https://thevideoscope.com/2017/06/20/nba-draft-lottery-07-11-bust-boom/)
11. [Derrick Williams, Fenerbahce: 'They brought me here with open arms', EuroLeague Basketball](https://admin.euroleague.net/news/i/a6jxhnwg6ssgsnlb/derrick-williams-fenerbahce-they-brought-me-here-with-open-arms)
12. [WILLIAMS, DERRICK, EuroLeague Basketball player page](https://admin.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=009006&seasoncode=E2019)
13. [Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball Club, Former Player: Derrick Williams](https://maccabi.co.il/player.asp?PlayerID=1001&cType=2&cYear=2022&lang=en)
14. [Derrick Williams International Stats, RealGM](https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Derrick-Williams/International/6644/Career/By_Split)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › NBA players, 2011–2018 › NBA forwards, 2011–2018*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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