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West Virginia Mountaineers forward Devin Williams declared for the 2016 NBA Draft on Tuesday. Although he has yet to sign with an agent, reports are saying that he plans to do so in the future. Williams’ decision comes as a little bit of a surprise after he announced following the Mountaineers’ first-round loss in the 2016 NCAA Tournament to Stephen F. Austin that he would come back for his senior year.
West Virginia’s Devin Williams will declare for the NBA Draft, per the school. Sure sounds like he is gone — and not just testing waters.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) March 29, 2016
The reason Williams ultimately left could have a lot to do with his family. In 2011, one of his older brothers was shot and killed in his hometown of Cincinnati. A year later, Williams moved to Florida and played for Montverde Academy. While he’s happy to be out of Cincinnati, Williams told the Charleston Gazette-Mail that he wants to move his entire family out of the city.
“It’s sad, but that’s how my city is. That’s how my city is going. I just use it for motivation to get my nephew out of there and make it better for him and the whole family.”
While I admire Williams for his willingness to do the right thing for his family, he’s potentially risking not being drafted and then taking a lesser deal to play overseas. Many draft experts project Williams to go undrafted because he doesn’t have a true position in the NBA. At 6-foot-9 and 255 pounds, he’s too short to play the four at the next level and he’s missing a 3-point shot to play the three.
If Williams would’ve returned next season, he could’ve worked on extending his jumper out farther which would’ve significantly increased his chances of making it in the NBA.
I wish Williams and his family the best, but he may be forfeiting some serious cash.
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