Jazz Trade Deron Williams To New Jersey

I can’t honestly say that I saw this one coming.  Via Yahoo! Sports…

The Utah Jazz have agreed to deal All-Star point guard Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets in a trade that will send Derrick Favors, Devin Harris and two first-round draft picks to Utah, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

As reported Tuesday, the Nets are also close to receiving forward Brandan Wright and center Dan Gadzuric from the Golden State Warriors in a separate trade that sends the Warriors forward Troy Murphy. New Jersey will also send $3 million to the Jazz.

The two picks the Jazz receive are the Nets’ 2011 first-round selection and a 2012 first-rounder the Nets had acquired from the Warriors, which is protected through the first seven picks.  

After chasing Carmelo Anthony for six months – including three near-agreements with Denver – the Nets’ deal for Williams came together in 24 hours, sources said. The Jazz were involved with the Nets in October as part of a potential four-team trade that would have sent Anthony to New Jersey, but Williams had not been included in that deal.

A two-time All-Star point guard, Williams had been unhappy with the Jazz’s lack of progress this season and the organization believed that he would leave as a free agent in 2012. His deteriorating relationship with Jerry Sloan played a part in the Hall of Fame coach’s decision to retire earlier in the month.

Williams had seen several teammates leave through free agency or trades, and the Jazz struggled to gain traction this season while several players, including Williams, coped with injuries. Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver and Wesley Matthews all signed with other teams last summer.

Williams, 26, had no indication he would be traded to New Jersey, and hasn’t had time to even digest the deal – never mind consider an extension with the Nets.

Still, New Jersey will try to persuade Williams to sign an extension, but it remains to be seen how quickly, if at all, he’ll embrace the idea of a long-term deal with the Nets. The earliest he can sign an extension is this summer, provided the league hasn’t entered a lockout.

Nevertheless, Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has been determined to upstage the New York Knicks with something beyond clever quips and giant billboards. Finally, on the day of Anthony’s introductory news conference and possible debut at Madison Square Garden against Milwaukee, Prokhorov made his most dramatic statement as owner with the Williams trade.

Harris, meanwhile, had embraced the Nets’ efforts to try to trade him. After Harris pushed for the Nets to hire his former coach, Avery Johnson, the two had a difficult time working together, and Harris’ production declined across the season. The Nets discussed deals with multiple teams, including Portland and Dallas, sources said.

Link.

I certainly like New Jersey’s side of this deal because they got (by far) the best player involved.  I’ve never been a big Devin Harris fan, and Derrick Favors certainly hasn’t shown anything that’s blown me away (alhough he’s a rookie and I’m not saying he can’t become a good player).  Seeing as the 2011 first rounder is coming from New Jersey, the pick will be a good one, but you have to give something to get something.  Deron Williams is inarguably a top three PG in the league and I can definitely see him taking the Nets to the playoffs in the East next season.

I suppose Utah has decided to go the rebuilding route.  I figure they’ll fall out of the playoff race this year, but they’ll have a few good draft selections to either use for themselves or deal to acquire some proven talent.  I imagine that they will have to deal one of their three young PFs (Jefferson, Millsap, Favors) at some point.  Jefferson is big enough to play a little center, but there’s still going to be a bit of a logjam at the four that could hinder the developement of Favors and cause at least one of the three to want out due to lack of shots/minutes. 

I’m shocked that it only took 24 hours to complete this deal.  I knew New Jersey was looking to package Harris and Favors for an All-Star talent, and I knew Deron Williams had some issues with Jerry Sloan, but I had no idea that he was on the block now that Sloan and the Jazz opted to go their seperate ways.  I can’t say I like the trade from Utah’s perspective… I guess it depends on how Favors and the picks pan out… but after reading the article from Yahoo! I understand why they did it.  Their current direction had run it’s course, and although they aren’t as good today as they were yesterday, this is probably the right move for the long run.