Deron Williams Rumors: Are Utah Jazz a possibility?
By Josh Hill
Deron Williams is hoping to get bought out by the Brooklyn Nets, and the Utah Jazz could ultimately get him back as a result.
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The Brooklyn Nets have been a horrid franchise to watch develop over recent years — mainly because zero development has happened. They traded away first-round picks to land Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry and Kevin Garnett — only one of whom still players there and against the will of the front office at that.
Brooklyn also tied up $100 million in Deron Williams, another contract they want to be rid of and could end up eating in a buyout. Williams is a Dallas kid and is reportedly interested in leaving the Nets to go home — but he technically has two places he could call ‘home’ and desire to return next season.
According to Marc Stein from ESPN.com, there have been rumblings around the NBA that Williams might end up returning to the Utah Jazz if he’s bought out by the Nets.
"Although there have been steady rumblings in league circles in recent weeks that a return to the Utah Jazz is also a possibility for Williams, sources say Dallas has emerged as his preferred destination, in part because he could reunite with new Mavs guard Wesley Matthews, his former Jazz teammate."
It’s looking like one of three things is certain — the Nets want to and probably will buyout Williams’ contract. He was benched in favor of Shaun Livingston back in 2013-14 and it’s been all downhill from there. D-Will has roughly $43 million left on the final two years of his contract with the Nets, but the team could talk him down to taking half that salary and then stretch it over the next five years at about $4 million per season.
That’s hardly a scratch compared to the mammoth hit the Nets would have had to take when Williams had all of his $100 million contract left.
Utah getting Williams back would be something that no doubt makes them contenders in the West, more than the fringe contenders they are now. He isn’t the budding superstar he was when the Jazz traded him the first time around and there’s no saying he’ll develop back into that.
Still, he’s a hot commodity and while Utah is a pipe dream compared to the shot Dallas has at him, you can never say never in the NBA. The Mavs would know that better than anyone at the moment.
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