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.