In a move that will be officially announced tomorrow, Terrence Williams will be traded to the Houston Rockets as part of a three-team deal also involving the Los Angeles Lakers.
In return, the Nets will receive guard Sasha Vujacic from the Lakers and two first-round draft picks, the Lakers’ in 2011 and the Rockets’ in 2012. As part of the deal, the Nets will also send reserve big man Joe Smith to Los Angeles.
The trade can only become official as early as tomorrow because of the involvement of Smith, who joined New Jersey as a free agent this offseason. New free-agent signees cannot be dealt before December 15.
In preparation for the swap, Williams was deactivated for tonight’s game with the 76ers and was told not to attend the contest. Williams recently completed a stint in the NBA Developmental League, which served as disciplinary action after the second-year swingman arrived late to a number practices, shootarounds and team meetings.
In ten games at the NBA level this season, Williams averaged 6.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. After being selected by the Nets 11th overall out of University of Louisville in the 2009, Williams played 88 games in his two years with the team and averaged 8.2 points per game.
Vujacic, a 6-foot-7 guard, has averaged 1.8 points per game in 11 games with Los Angeles this season. The 26-year-old former first-round pick has averaged 4.8 points per game and shot 37.2 percent from 3-point range in his seven year NBA career.
Since Williams is no longer with the club, Travis Outlaw has relegated to the bench and Damion James suffered a broken foot last week, Quinton Ross will continue to serve as the team’s starting small forward.