Marcus Williams (UConn)

The Kings have waived veteran guard Marcus Williams, the team announced today in a press release. Williams joined Sacramento last month as a camp invitee, but was viewed as a long shot to make the regular season roster.

Williams, 31, was the 22nd overall pick in the 2006 draft, but the UConn product spent just four years in the league, appearing in 203 total games for the Nets, Warriors, and Grizzlies. He hasn’t appeared in a  regular season NBA game since the 2009/10 season, having continued his professional career overseas and spent time with clubs in Russia, China, Spain, Serbia, Montenegro, and France.

Williams played in two preseason games for Sacramento, averaging 6.0 PPG and 3.0 APG in 15.7 minutes per contest.

The Kings now have 16 players under contract, not counting their two-way players. With 15 of those players on guaranteed deals, non-guaranteed camp invitee Matt Jones figures to join Williams on the waiver wire sometime before opening night.

Former first-round pick Marcus Williams is back on an NBA roster, according to the Kings, who issued a press release today announcing that they’ve signed the veteran point guard to a contract. Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed, but a non-guaranteed pact seems likely.

Williams, 31, was the 22nd overall pick in the 2006 draft, but the UConn product spent just four years in the league, appearing in 203 total games for the Nets, Warriors, and Grizzlies. He hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2009/10 season, making the signing a curious one for the Kings.

Although he hasn’t been playing in the NBA since 2010, Williams has continued his professional career overseas, spending time with clubs in Russia, China, Spain, Serbia, and Montenegro. Most recently, he signed a deal in March with Cholet Basket in France.

The signing of Williams may have been influenced by Kings assistant general manager Ken Catanella. The veteran executive worked in the Nets’ front office from 2006 to 2008, which were the same years that Williams spent with the club.

Williams should not be confused with the former Arizona forward of the same name, who last played in the NBA for the Spurs in 2008/09.