Nets' Point Guard Deron Williams Close to Taking His Talents...to Turkey?

On Thursday, word got out that New Jersey Nets' point guard Deron Williams had agreed in principle to spend his lockout overseas playing for the Turkish club, Besiktas, the same team that briefly employed Allen Iverson last season.

While nothing has been finalized yet and negotiations are still ongoing between the two-time All Star and Besiktas, the deal is estimated to net Williams between $2 and $3.5 million, a car, and housing on top of the tax breaks that come with playing overseas and a clause that would enable Williams to return to the NBA immediately whenever the lockout ends.

Given Williams' status as a legit, NBA superstar, this is pretty shocking news, and it makes me ask the question: What in the hell is D-Will thinking? I mean, this just doesn't make sense to me for several obvious reasons.

For starters, it's not like Williams is Sonny Weems, the Raptors swingman who also is taking his considerably lesser talents (and smaller bank account) overseas due to the lockout.

He's also not Iverson, who was forced to play in Turkey because nobody wanted his ass in America in the twilight of his career. Unlike those two, Williams is a bona fide superstar in the prime of his career and one of the best point guards in the NBA today.

Even more puzzling, though, is the fact that Williams is potentially risking $34 million from the Nets should he get injured in Turkey without his contract being insured. Let's not forget that Williams is coming off a wrist injury that affected his play all last season and caused him to miss 17 games.

All things considered, this move just doesn't make sense to me at all and I honestly don't understand the logic behind it from any angle. Williams already has made over $43 million playing in the NBA and probably has half a dozen cars in his garage.

Does he really need that extra car that bad? Or does he just want the experience of playing abroad? I'm not really sure. Whatever his reasons may be, there just appears to be a lot more risk involved with this decision than reward.

If I were his agent, I'd probably advise against this move and suggest he spend his lockout playing golf or watching football. Both of those options are a lot safer.