Derrick Williams is expected to receive interest in free agency from at least seven teams.

The Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks will pursue Williams.

Williams has been with the Kings since 2013 when he was traded by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Paul Pierce opted out of his player option with the Washington Wizards on Saturday.

Pierce reportedly will decide between returning to the Wizards or joining the Los Angeles Clippers.

Paul Pierce said after the season that he was not sure whether he would continue his career, but he is set on playing in 2015-16, according to a source.

Pierce will likely decide between the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers for his 18th season.

Pierce has a player option with the Wizards worth $5.5 million.

The Clippers will likely only be able to offer Pierce the mini-midlevel exception of $3.37 million.

The Washington Wizards considered picking Klay Thompson in the 2011 NBA Draft at No. 6 instead of Jan Vesely.

Thompson blew Flip Saunders away at a pre-draft camp, but Vesely was considered a safer pick and was ranked higher on most boards. Vesely is no longer in the NBA.

“We toyed with it,” Saunders said. “But heaven forbid you go out of the box and pick someone you’re higher on than anyone else.”

The Denver Nuggets received permission to interview Washington Wizards assistant Don Newman and discussed the franchise’s vacant head coaching job with him in the past week, league sources told RealGM.

Newman’s 16 NBA seasons as an assistant coach — including an eight-year stint with the San Antonio Spurs where he developed strong defensive principles and closely worked with Tim Duncan — give him the credibility to discuss a head coaching position. Since joining Randy Wittman's staff in 2012, Newman has served as the architect of an improved Wizards’ defense.

The Nuggets’ front office needed to get permission from the Wizards to discuss their open position with Newman, who spoke to GM Tim Connelly.

Despite many of Popovich’s former assistants receiving opportunities to compete for head jobs, Newman is still seeking his first chance and has been determined to place himself in contention.

Newman has a pedigree across sports as a coach and player, trying out for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks after his collegiate run at Idaho in 1980. He played guard in basketball, being a draft selection of the Boston Celtics and playing both sports in the CBA and CFL, before his start in coaching in 1986.

After spending 10 seasons in the NCAA, Newman joined George Karl’s staff with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1999 and spent a year with the Nets. Newman won two NBA championships with the Spurs.