The Brooklyn Nets have made it very clear this offseason that they are trying to move in a new, younger, more athletic direction. In order to do that, they would have to find a way to get both Joe Johnson and Deron Williams off the roster, and it also wouldn't hurt that getting rid of the two of them would help shed some payroll and get the team under the luxury tax. It is now being reported that the Nets and Williams are discussing a potential buyout so the team can save a few bucks, and Williams can get a fresh start elsewhere, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.
Earlier in the offseason, Nets General Manager Billy King said that a buyout for Williams was not an option, but has since changed his mind. Also, Williams now reportedly wants to become a member of the Dallas Mavericks. The Nets have been trying to trade Williams since before last season's trade deadline, but those attempts have been futile as no team wants to take on Williams' huge contract.
Williams still has two years and $43.3 million left on his contract but, as Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com reports, buyouts are typically 70 percent of the contract, which means the Nets would only have to pay $30 million of the $43.3 million left.
Williams was one of the most sought after free agents in the 2012 offseason, and his decision came down to the Nets or his hometown Mavericks. Williams eventually signed a five-year $99 million deal with the Nets, but it appears he might end up in Dallas anyway. There is reportedly a 60-70 percent chance that Williams will end up with the Mavericks.
The Mavericks are extremely interested in getting Williams after an offseason that didn't go as well as they had hoped: they lost Rajon Rondo to the Sacramento Kings after the experiment with him failed, Tyson Chandler signed with the Phoenix Suns and DeAndre Jordan took back his verbal agreement and decided to stay with the Los Angeles Clippers.
A change of scenery may be the perfect elixir for Williams though. Let's not forget that, about three or four years ago, there was a debate about whether he was better than Chris Paul. Williams is only 31 years old and, although he has had a rough tenure in Brooklyn, he still may have some of that former All-Star worthy play left in the tank. In his Brooklyn/New Jersey career, Williams averaged 16.6 points and 7.5 assists per game, but where he really fell off was shooting percentage. In his five and a half seasons with the Utah Jazz, Williams shot 47 percent from the field, but in his four and a half years with the Nets, he only shot 42 percent.
