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Brooklyn Nets Rumors: Deron Williams Wants Out?

By Kenneth Teape

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Brooklyn Nets Rumors: With the repeater tax looming for the Nets, they are desperate to get under the luxury tax threshold. To do so, they need to move one of their veterans in Deron Williams and/or Joe Johnson. Could Williams help that process along?

Being so far over the salary cap, the Brooklyn Nets have looked for ways to get under the luxury tax and eventually the cap. One of the ways to help would be moving one of their veteran players, such as Joe Johnson or Deron Williams. Trade proposals for Johnson have been rebuffed thus far, and the market for Williams has essentially dried up; the Sacramento Kings were supposedly interested but have moved on it looks like after signing Rajon Rondo.

But, the Nets could be catching a break, as Williams is supposedly looking to get his release. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, Williams is in talks with the Nets to get released so that he can sign with his hometown Dallas Mavericks.

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According to those same sources, the Nets have opened up talks with Williams to buyout the final two-years and $43.3 million on his contract. Buyout is the top option for the Nets, as waiving him would mean they still have to pay him what is owed on his contract. The stretch provision would lighten the cap and luxury tax for the next five seasons, but he would still count against the cap. That would be a tough pill to swallow, paying a player upwards of $8 million for a guy not on the team. Even with salary caps expected to rise exponentially, that is still a big chunk of change to give a guy playing for a different team.

Trading Williams would obviously be what the Nets want to do, as they would then not have to pay him anything, but at this time that doesn’t seem likely. Unlike Johnson, who is on an expiring contract, Williams is owed money through next season. He has seen a quick decline in his performance and fallen way short of living up to the five-year $99 million contract the Nets signed him to during the summer of 2012.

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Coincidentally, the Mavericks were the team competing with the Nets for Williams’ service that summer. The choice to return home, or sign for a longer, more lucrative contact was what Williams was dealing with and he chose the latter. Now three years later, the interest remains mutual.

Williams would fill a significant hole at the point guard position for the Mavericks after the Rondo experiment failed miserably. They are left now with very little there, as injury-prone Devin Harris and Raymond Felton are projected to handle most of the point guard duties with J.J. Barea. Williams, even with his drop in production, would be a solid addition for them.

Apr 4, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams (8) shoots the ball against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

After the DeAndre Jordan fiasco this week, the Mavericks could use some good news, and bringing Williams in could be that for them. While there are some whispers that Williams could return to the Utah Jazz, where he started his career, that seems unlikely as they are committed to giving younger players run to develop. Also, Wes Matthews, his teammate from Utah, just signed a max-deal with the Mavericks and could be the icing on the cake to return home.

Last season Williams averaged only 13 points on a career-low 38.7 percent shooting with 6.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. While those numbers are a far cry from what he was putting up even two seasons ago, he has flashed the old Deron Williams when healthy. That has been the biggest problem though; he is just never healthy.

Maybe a change of scenery would help get Williams back on track. Parting ways with the Nets would be the best for each party it would seem right now, as Williams could use a new place to play, and the Nets desperately need to get under the luxury tax to avoid paying the repeater tax, which is when a team has to pay an extra dollar for every dollar they are over the luxury tax, where the Nets currently sit for the third consecutive season.

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