ORLANDO, Fla. — Jason Williams passed his audition with the Orlando Magic.
The defending Eastern Conference champions signed the 33-year-old point guard on Wednesday, a day after he worked out for team officials at RDV Sportsplex.

Williams sat out all of last season, but Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy said Williams will compete with Anthony Johnson for minutes as Jameer Nelson’s primary backup.
“The thing that Jason’s got that we really like (is) he can play big minutes if needed, and that’s what ended up happening with Jameer last year when he went down,” Van Gundy said. “Jason, as he puts in the work, gets back in shape, has the type of body and the type of energy that will allow him to play big minutes if we need that. We hope we won’t.”
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but this upcoming season Williams will be paid about $1.3 million, the minimum salary for a player with at least 10 years of experience.
Williams was Miami’s starting point guard when the Heat won the NBA title in 2006. Now, he once again finds himself on a team with high expectations.
“It’s an ideal setting for him both in terms of the immediate goal and the makeup of the team,” Williams’ agent, Dan Tobin, wrote in an e-mail message. “He’s pleased for the opportunity to join this group and he’s looking forward to getting started.”
Williams, a University of Florida alumnus who lives in Isleworth, also worked out earlier this month for the New York Knicks and Memphis Grizzlies.
The workouts were a necessity because Williams voluntarily retired last September, less than two months after he signed a free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. Williams recently told the Charleston (W. Va.) Daily Mail that he retired because his wife was experiencing a difficult pregnancy.
Magic General Manager Otis Smith said Williams’ yearlong layoff was not a concern.
“When you add a piece that’s your 12th player that you sign on your roster, you’re not looking for that guy that carries the load,” Smith said. “You’re looking for that guy that can get the ball in to the right people at the right time and run their offense, which he’s more than capable of doing at a high enough level to be on the roster.”