In the NBA, there are a total of 540 contracts handed out year after year, 450 standard deals and another 90 two-ways. Every team gets three and is able to give it to whomever they see fit within certain bounds. This year, 539 two-way contracts have already been signed, with one, the Nets third two-way, remaining. The team that still has the NBA’s final two-way spot available: the Brooklyn Nets. It doesn’t pay that well, compared to NBA deals, only about $600,000, about half the minimum contract for a rookie.

For many fans, it’s strange that Brooklyn still hasn’t signed their third two-way player to a contract. They have two already on the roster: Tyson Etienne and E.J. Liddell. How come? One reason is that with all the rookies and young players Brooklyn already on the roster, the staff could have their hands full as is. Moreover, the Nets still value flexibility … and high character. They want to find the right fit. Simply put, there’s no rush in signing their third two-way — the deadline is March 4 — but it’s still interesting to speculate who could be taking that spot.

Could G League star Nate Williams be a name to look at whenever the Nets decide to finally fill that third two-way spot? Of the current players on the Long Island roster, Williams, a 6’6”, 26-year-old wing who played at the U. of Buffalo, has the most NBA experience at 47 games and he’s playing well. Before Friday night’s game vs. the Delaware Blue Coats, he’s averaging 17.9 points and 5.4 rebounds while registering 2.9 “stocks” the combination of steals (2.3) and blocks (0.6).

Acquired in the trade this past offseason that saw Drew Timme sent to the South Bay Lakers, The Sag Harbor, Long Island product came back to the Island as a player with NBA experience, someone who could help develop the rookies – Danny Wolf, Ben Saraf, Nolan Traore, Drake Powell and maybe Egor Demin – as they cycle through Long Island.

He says he’d be happy if he was elevated but it’s not his goal this year. Winning is.

“No, not even,” Williams told NetsDaily. “That’s not a goal of mine. I’m just where my feet are. Where I’m at right now is where I am. I’m accepting of that. I’m just trying to dominate here and get comfortable here. If I get called up, so be it. But I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about this team, the Long Island Nets.”

He along with other Long Island Nets, particularly Yuri Collins, the 6’0” point guard, and Grant Nelson, the 7’0” big, have to be considered strong candidates, along with others scattered around the league. Nelson has been injured of late and when Danny Wolf was assigned to Long Island he didn’t get a lot of minutes. But as Williams said, whether he gets the two-way or not, he’s happy doing what he’s doing.

After going undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft, Williams joined the Utah Jazz for the 2022 NBA Summer League. He would later sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Jazz before being waived and ending up on the Salt Lake City G League team.

Since then, Williams has bounced around, playing a total of 47 games at the NBA level, starting four of them, across three seasons from 2022 through 2025. He played five games for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2022-23, then the Houston Rockets, averaging 3.3 points in 7.4 minutes per contest.

He also appeared in 81 regular season G League games, starting 62 of them, across three seasons with the Salt Lake City Stars and Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

After Williams was waived by the Rockets in July, he found himself on the South Bay Lakers roster, his last stop before finding the Long Island Nets in the Timme trade. Like Drew Timme and Killian Hayes last season, Williams has shown his potential after experiencing some setbacks.

In Monday’s game alone, Williams finished with a season-high 30 points, which marked the second time in his career that he tallied 30 points and his season-high for this season.

When Williams was asked about his development so far this season, Williams said, “I feel good, I feel really good … I feel confident. I’m just continuing to work every day, take care of my body, and put in the work behind the scenes that nobody sees. I just want to continue to try and perform and get this team to win some games.”

Mfon Udofia, now in his fourth year as Long Island’s head coach, thinks that Williams next step will be developing as a leader.

Speaking with NetsDaily before Monday’s game, Udofia said, “I wouldn’t say a ‘better’ leader, but I want to see him grow and become the leader that he can possibly be. He’s a veteran on this team, and that’s the next part of his development: to be a leader and lead by example, and bring the young guys along with him. He’s a really good, hard worker. He’s developed a really good routine, and I just want him to help our younger guys along the way too.”

In Monday’s game, fans saw the connection Williams has built with Yuri Collins, the G League’s top playmaker and another player Brooklyn acquired to help with the rookies’ adjustment.

“Nate’s just one of those guys who knows how to play basketball,” Collins told ND. “You don’t have to say too much to him. He’s an older guy. He’s played in the NBA and has a lot of minutes in the G League as well. A lot of our stuff is stuff we don’t even have to talk about, it’s just kind of our experiences coming together and making plays like that on the court.”

Williams shot the ball very well on Monday, connecting on 12 of his 20 field goals, including going 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. More often than not, this has become the norm for Williams, as he’s become one of the team’s best shooters.

For the remainder of the season, Williams has a few goals in mind: “Shooting, playmaking, just trying to be a complete player for this team and a leader for this team. Not be emotional. Not get down on my teammates. Try to encourage my teammates, and just be a good teammate and a good player. Moreso, be a good teammate. I put a lot of work in. I’m not worried about the basketball part of it; that’ll take care of itself. But, just be a good teammate, and try my hardest to help this team win.”

As for the two-way, with four of the five rookies now getting serious minutes, the question that remains is whether they even have to fill their third two-way any time soon. Indeed, the Nets don’t have to sign anyone until March 4. And neither Tyson Etienne nor E.J. Liddell the Nets other two-ways have a guaranteed deal.

No matter what happens, it appears Williams will be ready.