NBA Free Agents 2012: Likeliest Landing Spots for Deron Williams

Although Nets point guard Deron Williams technically has a player option for 2012-13, ESPN notes that the two-time All-Star has already made his intentions clear. Williams will be testing the free-agent market, and these three teams look like the ones with the best shot at retaining his services for next season:

3. Phoenix Suns

The Suns are a definite long shot, but few teams will have the cap space Phoenix can muster in the summer of 2012. They’ll be one of the very few suitors who could sign Williams and still add another substantive free agent to go with him.

Obviously, if fellow free agent Steve Nash stays in Phoenix, it’s hard to see him sharing the floor with Williams. If Nash skips town, though, replacing him with Williams isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

2. New Jersey Nets

The Nets are something of an X-factor in this discussion, because so much depends on whether they land Dwight Howard (by trade or signing). If Howard arrives, Williams is almost certain to stay with the team.

If Howard goes elsewhere, though, Williams will have little reason to stay aboard a sinking ship. The franchise’s move to Brooklyn will have its appeal, but without a team around him, Williams is likely to choose a title contender over the allure of the New York market.

1. Dallas Mavericks

Few teams will be able to come close to the advantages Dallas has in wooing Williams. The Mavs are his hometown team, can offer him a max contract and have proven themselves as title contenders.

Unless the gravitational pull of Dwight Howard sends him elsewhere, Williams could hardly do better than to sign with Dallas. And, from the Mavs’ perspective, Williams (28 next summer) provides not only immense talent but also some future hope for an aging roster.