Derrick Williams might leave Timberwolves for Europe

Derrick Williams is looking at the NBA lockout -- and a map of Europe.

​Derrick Williams, the Timberwolves' high-flying, high-scoring No. 2 pick in last year's NBA draft, might not stick around to wait for the basketball lockout to end.

In an interview with a site that follows the University of Arizona, where Williams played his spectacular brand of college ball, Williams said he would consider packing his bags to play in Europe if the lockout doesn't end "within the next week or so."

That seems very, very unlikely. Last night, the NBA announced that a marathon session between players and owners was unfruitful, and the first two weeks of the season were officially canceled. NBA commissioner David Stern described the sides leaving the frozen negotiation as "disappointing."

Let us get this straight. Minnesota drafts Ricky Rubio, but can't get him to leave Europe. Now he's coming to Minneapolis, but we might lose Derrick Williams... to Europe?

Man, what is it about Europe? Is it because Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki live there? Is it Heidi Klum? Socialism?

Oh, wait. Maybe it's something to do with the Timberwolves.

Williams' half-threatened move came to prestigious sports journalism website GOAZCATS.com, which asked Williams about his former college squad. But the bigger news was his answer to the question about his own future.

"If (the lockout) doesn't get fixed within the next week or so, then I'm really going to be looking into it," Williams said. "I think that's the Plan B, especially at this point."

Williams was keeping fit in Los Angeles at the time of the interview, where he's planning to play in an exhibition game with already-paid stars like Kevin Durant and the Wizards' John Wall.

The Timberwolves' draftee lamented the fact that he couldn't be in Minneapolis, figuring stuff out with Kevin Love, Michael Beasley, and new coach Rick Adelman. (Hey, that team actually sounds pretty good.)

"Right now, I would've already been in Minnesota working out with my teammates," he said.

Apparently the media fallout from those "bon voyage to Europe" quotes has been a bit overblown, at least according to a tweet from Williams this afternoon.