Chicago Bulls

Williams, considered one of the best young point guards in the NBA prior to his suffering horrific injuries in a motorcycle accident three years ago, worked out for the Raptors at the Air Canada Centre yesterday and expressed interest in signing as a free agent with Toronto.

"The opportunity here is tremendous," said Williams, who wore a bandage over his left eye after being cut in workouts. "You talk about Chris Bosh, I saw him at Georgia Tech. He has grown and become a better player. Charlie Villanueva, from draft day, a lot of guys killing him, to scoring 48 points in a game. MoPete ... all the pieces of the puzzle are here. The possibilities are exciting."

If the Raptors and Williams reach an agreement -- and that's certainly not guarantee as Williams will work out for several more NBA teams this month -- it's likely Toronto would abandon the Mike James sweepstakes. James, who put together a career year for the Raptors last season, is eligible to drop out of the final year of his contract and sign a long-term deal with another team.

Williams, 24, led Duke to a national championship in 2001 and was a first-round draft pick by the Bulls (second overall). He experienced a roller coaster ride as a rookie, averaging 9.5 points and 4.7 assists in 75 games, but demonstrated enough on-court ability and leadership to be considered a potential future all-star at the point. He certainly would come a lot cheaper than James, who is looking for, in the neighbourhood, of $5 million to $8 million US per year.

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