Deron Williams to Mavericks: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

After what has transformed into a disastrous offseason for the Dallas Mavericks, the franchise attempted to shore up the point guard position on Tuesday by signing Deron Williams, as the team confirmed:      

Eddie Sefko of the Dallas News provided the financial breakdown of Williams' deal in Dallas:

The effect of DeAndre Jordan's decision to spurn the Mavs and stay with the Los Angeles Clippers was obviously a major blow to Dallas. Team owner Mark Cuban essentially said outright that a failure to sign Jordan would result in a doomed offseason, per ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon.

Somewhat overshadowed during the Jordan drama was Jeremy Lin signing with the Charlotte Hornets. The Mavericks had the former Los Angeles Lakers point guard on their radar, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, and their failure to secure his services left them scrambling for another option.

That's when they turned the clock back to 2012 and set their sights on Williams. NBA insider David Aldridge first reported the Brooklyn Nets were in the process of buying Williams out of his contract and then added Dallas would likely be his next destination.

As NBA writer Bethlehem Shoals noted, this move would've been a lot bigger before the 31-year-old PG began declining noticeably on the court:

"

Ten years after it would've mattered, the Mavs finally get Deron Williams!

— Bethlehem Shoals (@freedarko) July 10, 2015"

The last time the Mavericks heavily pursued Williams, he was coming off three straight All-Star Games and a 2011-12 season in which he averaged 21 points and 8.7 assists a game. It's easy to forget how good he was in his prime.

At the time, Williams told reporters that Cuban's decision to tape episodes of Shark Tank rather than meet with him helped sway his decision to re-sign with the Nets.

A few months after those comments, Cuban sounded as if he was happy in the end not to be saddled with Williams' max deal, per Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News:

"

Not talking about any one player, but that's why we were concerned in our approach because if you sign a max-out guy, well, you get to a point where you’re above that (luxury) tax (line) plus $4 million, you're limited in sign and trades. You're limited in your ability to use the exception. There's all kinds of limitations.

Which means unless you think that’s a championship team, it's going to be tough to improve. That's been the message I've been giving to fans here in Dallas since the CBA. That's what's guided our approach.

"

Even if Cuban was attempting to save face back then after having lost out on a marquee free agent, he was ultimately vindicated.

Injuries and inconsistency have caused the All-Star version of Williams to completely disappear. Here's a look at his per-36 averages and advanced numbers over the last four years, courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com:

Season	PPG	APG	FG%	3P%	TS%	USG%	PER
2011-12	20.8	8.7	.407	.336	.527	30.1	20.3
2012-13	18.7	7.7	.440	.378	.574	24.4	20.3
2013-14	16.0	6.9	.450	.366	.564	21.8	17.6
2014-15	15.1	7.6	.387	.367	.504	22.3	15.7

Williams' critics might also point to the idea that he hasn't always formed a strong bond with his head coaches. Some blamed him for Jerry Sloan's resignation from the Utah Jazz and Avery Johnson's dismissal from the Brooklyn Nets.

Sporting News' Sean Deveney wonders how the pairing of Williams and Rick Carlisle will work for Dallas:

With all of that said, this is arguably a good gamble from a Mavericks perspective.

Williams' previously unwieldy contract is no longer part of the equation, so he won't carry that albatross around his neck every game. If you look at his per-36 numbers from last year and factor in his salary for next year, his perceived performance is viewed in a slightly more positive light.

In addition, he's an improvement over J.J. Barea, who shouldn't be a starting point guard in the NBA, and Devin Harris, whom you can't count upon to stay healthy for an entire season.

CBS Sports' Matt Moore argued that missing out on Jordan might be a blessing in disguise:

"

Deron Williams, even at this point, is a hell of a lot better “No.1 option” than DJ...

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) July 10, 2015"

In terms of value for money, you could argue signing Williams at a relatively low cost is less of a risk than throwing a max deal at Jordan or handing $70 million over four years to a two-way guard who's coming off a torn Achilles.

The question still remains as to how deep into the postseason the Mavericks can go next year—if they even make the playoffs at all. Even if Dallas had signed Jordan, it was fair to wonder whether it would have enough to topple the reigning champion Golden State Warriors, a healthy Oklahoma City Thunder squad or a reloaded San Antonio Spurs team. 

The success of this signing doesn't have to be judged solely on the Mavs' record in 2015-16, though. As long as the franchise builds a solid framework for contention down the line, Williams' arrival will pay off the team's investment.