Former Nets pick arrested in connection with alleged kidnapping, assault

A former Nets second-round pick faces a stiff penalty, and it’s a fate worse than playing for Brooklyn.

Jordan Williams, 26, who was selected No. 36 overall by the then-New Jersey Nets in 2011, was one of four people arrested over the weekend in connection with an alleged kidnapping, robbery and assault of a juvenile male on Thanksgiving night, according to the Torrington, Conn.-based Register Citizen.

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The juvenile was kidnapped at knifepoint, robbed of his clothing and personal items and assaulted inside of a home he later managed to flee for help on the night of Thanksgiving, according to a Torrington Police Department press release. Following a substantial investigation, detectives determined the alleged incident was revenge exacted for a drug deal gone bad, the release said.

Isamar Dirocie, also 26, faces the harshest charges of the arrested quartet — first-degree kidnapping and robbery chief among them — but Williams is next, with third-degree assault and strangulation, breach of peace and risk of injury to a minor listed as reported charges. If convicted, that last count comes with a minimum jail time of one year and a maximum of 10. He is being held on $300,000 bail.

Williams starred at Torrington High in the small Northwest Connecticut city. The 6-foot-10, 260-pound big man played two seasons at the University of Maryland, capturing First Team All-ACC honors as a sophomore, before declaring for the 2011 NBA Draft. Williams and four other Torrington teens were also charged with third-degree assault and breach of peace for a 2009 incident in his hometown between his freshman and sophomore seasons at Maryland. The charges were later dropped.

After being taken early in the second round, Williams spent one season on the Nets, averaging a respectable 4.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14.8 minutes over 43 appearances as a rookie on a 22-win team. Just prior to their move to Brooklyn, the Nets packaged Williams in their trade for Joe Johnson in July 2012. Prior to the start of the 2012-13 season, the Atlanta Hawks waived Williams.

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Williams earned an estimated $1.24 million for his NBA service. In August 2013, he signed a one-year deal to play for Spain’s Bilbao Basket, only to part ways with the club a month later. As recently as 2014, Williams was still trying to make it back to the NBA, playing in the Greater Hartford Pro-Am.

It would seem that goal was taken from Williams on the night of the alleged robbery of a juvenile.

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Ben Rohrbach is a contributor for Ball Don’t Lie and Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach