The New Jersey Nets have exercised the third-year options on the contracts of guard Marcus Williams and forward Josh Boone, Nets President Rod Thorn announced today. Both players will remain under contract with the Nets through the 2008-09 season.

“Both Marcus and Josh have consistently improved since joining our team,” said Thorn. “We look forward to their continued contributions to the Nets.”

Williams, a 6-3 guard, and Boone, a 6-10 forward, were teammates at UConn, and were selected 22nd and 23rd respectively in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft. In their rookie seasons, Williams played in 79 games, averaging 6.8 points and 3.3 assists per game, while Boone appeared in 61 contests, averaging 4.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.