Clippers Expected to Waive C.J. Williams Soon

Brad Turner of the LA Times has reported what we at Clips Nation have been speculating on for weeks: the Clippers are going to waive C.J. Williams sometime soon.

C.J. Williams was a nice surprise last season for the Clippers on a two-way deal, appearing in 38 games and starting 18 for the injury-riddled Clips. A smart player and capable defender, Williams was a nice stopgap for various injured Clippers, and stepped up well whenever they needed him.

While the Clippers signed C.J. to a two-year deal at the end of the season, it was non-guaranteed (or guaranteed at a very small amount, like $50,000), making him an easy candidate to be cut on a crowded roster. While Williams is a nice player, he’s already 28 and more of a fill-in option than a true rotation player on a good team. While he would have been nice to have on the end of the bench, there’s just no room on the Clippers for him at the moment.

The Clippers still have 17 players on their roster, making two more cuts (or trades) necessary before opening night. With C.J. gone, the next likely candidate to be moved is probably Sam Dekker, who struggled mightily last season.

C.J. averaged 5.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game last year on an average of 18.6 minutes played, and is certainly an NBA-caliber player. Hopefully he finds another NBA contract once the Clippers make things official, though there is a chance they could bring him back on another two-way if things don’t work out with Ty Wallace. Best of luck to C.J.!