Kam Williams shock early entrant to 2017 NBA Draft

In a stunner, Ohio State junior guard Kam Williams’ name appeared on the NBA’s official list of 2017 NBA Draft early entrants Tuesday evening. Fellow Buckeye junior Trevor Thompson, a sub-7’0 big man, had his name appear as expected on the list as well.

While Thompson’s decision was made publicly available and been known about for some time — it also came as no surprise after he tested the NBA Draft waters before returning to school last year — Williams’ comes completely out of left field. Neither player is projected to be even a late round draft pick, with Thompson expected to play either abroad or in the NBA’s G-League (formerly the “D-League”) next season.

Williams played a career high 30 minutes a game last season, averaging just 9.4 points per game, 2.1 rebounds, and 1 assist per contest. He wasn’t even a full time starter until the second half of this past season.

To say Williams would likely be best served by returning to school for his final year of eligibility in a pure basketball sense is probably an understatement. Assuming he hasn’t hired an agent and pays his own way to workouts, he’s free to. If he has a guarantee to allow himself to play professionally abroad, it might make personal financial sense for him to test the NBA waters before pursuing a career in Europe, Asia, or the Middle East.

We wish Williams the best regardless of what he decides.