After 50 defeats in 52 games during the 2011-12 season, the Takamatsu Five Arrows¡¯ rebuilding project included a newcomer in the middle, Paul Williams.

Without much fanfare in the mainstream media, the veteran big man played an integral role in the team¡¯s improved performance over the past two seasons, when coach Kenzo Maeda¡¯s club went a combined 43-61, but extended its streak of non-playoff campaigns to five.

Williams, a St. Bonaventure University (New York) product, will now embark on a new challenge, taking his polished low-post game to the Eastern Conference. He was traded to the Aomori Wat¡¯s for an undisclosed amount of cash, it was announced by the league office on Monday.