Money won't be the determining factor when it comes time for Jay Williams to sign with a new NBA team and that's good for the Raptors because they don't have much money to pay him.

However, Williams's agent said yesterday a couple of teams with much more on-court power are interested in the one-time Chicago Bull.

Williams, who missed the last two seasons recovering from a near-fatal motorcycle accident, is working out today with the Houston Rockets and has already auditioned for the Miami Heat.

"We're looking for the right situation where a team can be patient," Billy Duffy said in a telephone interview yesterday. "I think he's probably 80 per cent there. We think he'll be all the way back by Christmas, maybe the all-star break."

Williams, 24, was injured in a motorcycle accident in June 2003 and hasn't played since. Raptor general manager Rob Babcock has been watching his rehabilitation for the last 18 months, Duffy said, and saw the 6-foot-2, 188-pound guard work out last week.

But, because the Raptors have 14 players with guaranteed contracts that push the team's payroll perilously close to the NBA luxury tax level of $61.7 million (all figures U.S.), Toronto isn't able to offer more than the league-minimum salary, which for a player with Williams's experience wouldn't top $500,000 per season.

Duffy, however, said finding the right fit for his client is more important than salary.