Nate Williams (basketball, born 1999)

{{for|the former basketball player|Nate Williams (basketball, born 1950)}}

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Nate Williams

| image = Jeenathan Williams (cropped).jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Williams with Buffalo in 2021

| position = Shooting guard / small forward

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 5

| weight_lb = 205

| league = NBA G League

| team = Houston Rockets

| number = 19

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|2|12}}

| birth_place = Sag Harbor, New York, U.S.

| high_school =

University Prep Charter
(Rochester, New York)
Prolific Prep
(Napa, California)

| college = Buffalo (2018–2022)

| draft_year = 2022

| career_start = 2022

| years1 = 2022–2023

| team1 = Salt Lake City Stars

| years2 = {{nbay|2022|end}}

| team2 = Portland Trail Blazers

| years3 = {{nbay|2023|start}}–present

| team3 = Houston Rockets

| years4 = 2023–2025

| team4 = →Rio Grande Valley Vipers

| highlights =

First-team All-MAC (2022)
Second-team All-MAC (2021)

}}

Jeenathan Lewis "Nate" Williams Jr. (born February 12, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Buffalo Bulls.

High school career

Williams played basketball for University Prep Charter School for Young Men in Rochester, New York. As a junior, he averaged 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists per game and was named to the Class AA all-state fifth team.{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=James |date=August 4, 2017 |title=After starring in basketball at UPrep, Jeenathan Williams says California here I come |url=https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/08/04/upreps-jeenathan-williams-basketball-california-prep/533275001/ |access-date=November 11, 2021 |website=Democrat and Chronicle}} For his senior season, Williams transferred to Prolific Prep in Napa, California, where he averaged 15.8 points per game.{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=Robby |date=October 9, 2018 |title=2018-19 Buffalo Men’s Basketball previews: Jeenathan Williams |url=https://www.ubbullrun.com/buffalo-basketball/2018/10/9/17941284/2018-19-buffalo-mens-basketball-previews-jeenathan-williams |access-date=November 11, 2021 |website=Bull Run}} He competed for the City Rocks on the Amateur Athletic Union circuit alongside Isaiah Stewart and Buddy Boeheim.{{cite web |last=Ditota |first=Donna |date=June 14, 2017 |title=Rochester's Class of 2018 SF Jeenathan Williams on recruitment, Syracuse basketball |url=https://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2017/06/class_of_2018_forward_jeenathan_williams_from_rochester_on_recruitment_syracuse.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |website=The Post-Standard}} A four-star recruit, Williams committed to playing college basketball for Buffalo over offers from Syracuse, Virginia, Pittsburgh, Temple and St. Bonaventure.{{cite web |last=Johnson |first=James |title=Former UPrep basketball all-star Jeenathan Williams chooses University at Buffalo |url=https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/09/24/jeenathan-williams-buffalo/697853001/ |website=Democrat and Chronicle |access-date=November 11, 2021 |date=September 24, 2017}} He became the highest-rated recruit in program history per Rivals.com.{{cite web |last=Scott |first=Jon |date=March 4, 2021 |title=Williams Rising Into UB Star |url=https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/sports/2021/03/04/williams-rising-into-ub-star |access-date=November 11, 2021 |website=Spectrum News}}

College career

As a freshman at Buffalo, Williams averaged 3.2 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. He played only 9.1 minutes per game on a team that finished 32–4 and was ranked all season. In his sophomore season, he moved into the starting lineup, and averaged 11.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Following the season, he worked on his ballhandling and shooting with coaches in Florida and California. On November 27, 2020, Williams posted a junior season-high 28 points and 12 rebounds in a 74–65 win against Towson.{{cite web |last=Lenzi |first=Rachel |date=November 27, 2020 |title=UB's Jeenathan Williams paces Bulls in Bubbleville win against Towson |url=https://buffalonews.com/sports/ubs-jeenathan-williams-paces-bulls-in-bubbleville-win-against-towson/article_53ad1316-310d-11eb-bb2e-53132c6eba06.html |access-date=November 11, 2021 |website=The Buffalo News}} As a junior, he averaged 17.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, earning Second Team All-Mid-American Conference (MAC) honors. Williams declared for the 2021 NBA draft before withdrawing and returning to Buffalo.{{cite web |last=Lenzi |first=Rachel |title=UB's Jeenathan Williams withdraws from NBA draft, will return to Bulls |url=https://buffalonews.com/sports/college/ubs-jeenathan-williams-withdraws-from-nba-draft-will-return-to-bulls/article_2cf99e5a-d9e2-11eb-8634-ff3b889cc2c9.html |website=The Buffalo News |access-date=November 11, 2021 |date=June 30, 2021}}{{cite news |last=Lenzi |first=Rachel |date=November 20, 2021 |title=How Jeenathan Williams has blossomed in four seasons of UB basketball |url=https://buffalonews.com/sports/college/rachel-lenzi-how-jeenathan-williams-has-blossomed-in-four-seasons-of-ub-basketball/article_cc0b1672-4a4e-11ec-b6eb-6b39ebb4b83d.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220033338/https://buffalonews.com/sports/college/rachel-lenzi-how-jeenathan-williams-has-blossomed-in-four-seasons-of-ub-basketball/article_cc0b1672-4a4e-11ec-b6eb-6b39ebb4b83d.html |archive-date=December 20, 2021 |access-date=February 27, 2022 |agency=The Buffalo News}} In his senior season debut on November 10, 2021, he scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed eight rebounds in an 88–76 loss to sixth-ranked Michigan.{{cite web |date=November 10, 2021 |title=Dickinson-led No. 6 Michigan beats Buffalo 88–76 in opener |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401364997 |access-date=November 11, 2021 |website=ESPN |publisher=Associated Press}} Williams was named to the First Team All-MAC.{{cite press release|url=https://getsomemaction.com/news/2022/3/9/2021-22-mens-basketball-postseason-awards-announced.aspx|title=2021-22 Men's Basketball Postseason Awards Announced|publisher=Mid-American Conference |date=March 8, 2022 |accessdate=March 8, 2022}}

Professional career

=Salt Lake City Stars (2022–2023)=

After going undrafted in the 2022 NBA draft, Williams joined the Utah Jazz for the 2022 NBA Summer League. On October 11, 2022, Williams signed an exhibit 10 contract with the Jazz,{{Cite web |last=Rincon |first=Jeremy |date=October 11, 2022 |title=Utah Jazz Sign Jeenathan Williams |url=https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/utah-jazz-sign-jeenathan-williams |access-date=April 2, 2023 |website=NBA.com}} but was waived the next day.{{Cite web |last=Rincon |first=Jeremy |date=October 12, 2022 |title=Utah Jazz Sign Micah Potter to Two-Way Contract |url=https://www.nba.com/jazz/news/utah-jazz-sign-micah-potter-to-two-way-contract |access-date=April 2, 2023 |website=NBA.com}} On October 19, Williams signed with the Salt Lake City Stars of the NBA G League.{{cite web|url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/stars-announce-2022-23-training-camp-roster/n-5892964|title=Stars Announce 2022-23 Training Camp Roster|website=oursportscentral.com|date=October 23, 2022|access-date=October 23, 2022}}

=Portland Trail Blazers (2023)=

On April 1, 2023, Williams signed with the Portland Trail Blazers.{{cite web |date=April 1, 2023 |title=Trail Blazers Sign Jeenathan Williams |url=https://www.nba.com/blazers/news/trail-blazers-sign-jeenathan-williams |access-date=April 1, 2023 |website=NBA.com}} He made his NBA debut the next day, scoring 7 points in a 107–105 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He became the first Buffalo alumnus to play in the NBA since Sam Pellom forty years earlier.{{cite news |date=April 2, 2023 |title=Jeenathan Williams becomes first UB player to appear in NBA game in 40 years |url=https://buffalonews.com/sports/basketball/jeenathan-williams-becomes-first-ub-player-to-appear-in-nba-game-in-40-years/article_d1afb946-d1c7-11ed-b44b-03fb06d37396.html |access-date=November 15, 2023 |work=Buffalo News |language=en}}

On July 28, 2023, Williams was waived by the Trail Blazers.{{cite web |date=July 28, 2023 |title=Trail Blazers Waive Jeenathan Williams |url=https://www.nba.com/blazers/news/trail-blazers-waive-jeenathan-williams |access-date=July 28, 2023 |website=NBA.com}}

=Houston Rockets (2023–present)=

On August 2, 2023, Williams signed with the Houston Rockets{{cite web|first=Trevor|last=Patin|title=Rockets Sign Five Players|url=https://www.nba.com/rockets/news/rockets-sign-five-players|website=NBA.com|date=August 2, 2023|access-date=August 2, 2023}} and on October 23, his deal was converted into a two-way contract.{{cite web |last=Joshi |first=Hiren |date=October 23, 2023 |title=Rockets Convert Nate Williams to Two-Way Contract |url=https://www.nba.com/rockets/news/rockets-convert-nate-williams-to-two-way-contract |access-date=October 31, 2023 |website=NBA.com}} He appeared in the season opener on October 25, scoring four points in less than five minutes of play.{{cite web |title=Jeenathan Williams 2023-24 Game Log |url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willije02/gamelog/2024 |access-date=November 15, 2023 |website=Basketball-Reference.com}} On July 3, 2024, he signed another two-way contract with the Rockets.{{cite web |last=Joshi |first=Hiren |date=July 3, 2024 |title=Rockets Announce Roster Moves |url=https://www.nba.com/rockets/news/rockets-announce-roster-moves |access-date=July 5, 2024 |website=NBA.com}}

On March 2, 2025, the Rockets signed Williams to a four-year, $8.2 million standard contract.{{cite web |last=Stinar |first=Ben |title=Houston Rockets Make Roster Move Before Thunder Game |website=Sports Illustrated |url=https://www.si.com/fannation/nba/fastbreak/houston-rockets-make-roster-move-before-thunder-game-williams-zeller-nba-news |date=March 2, 2025 |access-date=March 3, 2025}}