NBA Free Agents 2012: Why Deron Williams Is Going to Dallas Mavericks

Earlier yesterday, reports from ESPN surfaced that Deron Williams, 2012's star free agent, has narrowed his list of potential suitors to just two teams.

Sources close to the situation have acknowledged that the All-Star guard will include only the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks on his list. I believe he really only included the Nets if they can get Dwight Howard, and I don't think they're able to do that. 

People still include Brooklyn as a potential Dwight destination. I don't know what kind of drugs they're doing, but I want some.

Seriously, the Nets have nobody that qualifies as a "building block" that a new team would want. Brook Lopez could be the centerpiece of the deal, but he only makes $4.1 million and salaries need to match. Gerald Wallace opted out. They don't have a single pick in the first round of this year's draft. 

Go down this list. Does any combination of those players represent even 15 cents on the dollar for Dwight? Of course, this is all null and void if Dwight literally says, "I will not sign an extension anywhere other than Brooklyn," and—given that he couldn't even commit to leaving Orlando this year—I don't think even he knows what he wants to do. 

If Dwight doesn't come, and the Nets still have that awful roster, D-Will isn't staying. That means that ABC might wet themselves over the prospect of a "Miami vs Dallas, Part Three" rubber match that—with one more star involved—stands to make it even more money than the Lakers-Celtics '08 matchup.

This is literally one of the easiest salary remakes a team has ever had to do to acquire a superstar.

Let's assume Williams wants to get paid max money to sign with another team, which let's say is around $16-17 million annually. That's what LeBron James and Chris Bosh got when they signed with Miami.

For Dallas, Jason Kidd's $8.5 million figure is coming off the books, and you get rid of a team cancer and distraction in by cutting ties with Lamar Odom and his nearly $9 million contract.

That's enough right there. You want more cap space to potentially get Dwight in the event he stays with Orlando or gets traded to a team he might not sign an extension with? Don't resign Jason Terry.  

You pair Deron with Dirk and what happens? They can then try and find a trade partner for Shawn Marion or maybe use the amnesty clause they cleverly stored away on Brendan Haywood. Those guys make a combined $18 million per season, enough to get Dwight.

Does this set up Dallas and Oklahoma City to have a stranglehold on the Western Conference for years to come? You bet it does. And it could easily happen.

Stay tuned.