News12's "Jersey Sports Final" quoted Net GM Ed Stefanski Saturday as saying the team is "interested" in former Duke star and Plainfield native Jay Williams, but would make no contract committment til the team's management assesses his workout and talks to his agent. In an interview that aired Sunday night, Stefanski told News12:
"We have to assess where we thought...from Lawrence (Frank) and Rod (Thorn)... what we thought of this workout, then we'll talk to his agent, Bill Duffy, and see where it's going. There are going to be numerous teams in the league that are going to be interested and we're one of them".
News12 again quoted Williams on his interest in the Nets:
"I can only tell you I was born and raised 20 minutes away from here. That’s enough said. You know what I mean?
"I went to school about a half hour away from here. I have been coming to games here since I was a little kid…Steve Nash is one of my favorite players and Jason Kidd is one of my favorite players as well. So I think the opportunity to learn with him would be priceless."
In Sunday's interview segment, Williams also noted, "I had my best game against these guys here," a reference to his triple-double against the Nets in November 2002 when he had 26 points, 13 assists and 14 rebounds at Continental Airlines Arena. He told News12 that "at least seven teams" will give him workouts.
Williams also spoke about the progress he had made since the June 19, 2003 accident that shattered his pelvis and damaged his left leg. He noted how for a year and a half after the accident, someone had to help him out of bed and how for a year he worried he might never have children because of nerve damage.
Stefanski was quoted in the New York Post Sunday as saying Williams had an open invitation to join the Nets summer league team which plays in the Orlando Pro Summer league starting July 10.