TORONTO, Aug. 29 -- The Toronto Raptors Thursday signed free agent swingman Walt Williams to a one-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed, but according to radio reports the 6-foot-8 Williams inked a one-year deal for the NBA minimum of $247, 500. Raptors spokesman Matt Akler refused to confirm the figure, but said, 'It's around that. We're capped out.' 'Walt Williams is a significant component in the fine tuning of our roster that we've undertaken this summer,' Raptors executive vice president Isiah Thomas said at a press conference. 'He's one of the league's best small forwards at putting the ball on the floor and gives us a potent scoring threat on our front line,' Thomas said. A four-year veteran, Williams started all 73 games he played last season, averaging 13.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 29.7 minutes. 'This Toronto team is a very young team so it's hard to judge how successful we're going to be,' Williams said. 'We definitely have a lot of talent on this team.' Williams was the seventh overall pick in 1992 by Sacramento and played his first three-plus seasons in the league with the Kings. He was averaging 14.6 points over the first 45 games of last season before he was dealt to Miami in an eight-player trade last February. The former Maryland standout started the final 28 games for the Heat, averaging 12 points and four rebounds. Faced with salary cap restrictions, Miami renounced his rights in the off-season.
This 26-year-old's best season came in 1994-95 when, as a member of the Kings, he played a career high of 77 games and ranked in the NBA top 40 in scoring, assists, steals, block and minutes. 'Walt is an exciting player and has the potential to be a valuable leader on our young team,' Thomas said. 'His versatility and ability to create shots for himself and his teammates will be a tremendous asset to the Raptors, along with the other players we have acquired since the end of last season.' At Maryland, Williams set a school record with a scoring mark of 26.8 points per game as a senior.