NBA Rumors: Nets Must Deal Deron Williams Before He Walks

It is time for the New Jersey Nets to make a strategy shift and start shopping PG Deron Williams. New Jersey has been trying furiously to land players, namely Dwight Howard, to entice Williams into re-signing at the end of this season, and that strategy is not working.

Williams is in the last year of his contract, and if the Nets don't do something soon they are going to lose the point guard that they acquired less than a season ago for nothing. 

The Rumors 

Ramona Shellburne of ESPN:

"

It is widely assumed around the NBA that Williams is ticketed to his hometown Dallas Mavericks as a free agent this summer if the Nets can't persuade him to stay.

But lurking in the background—as will be the case for as long as Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are still on the roster and still healthy enough to trade—are the Los Angeles Lakers.

"

Why D-Will Must Be Traded

The Nets' hopes of landing Howard in a trade are diminishing with each passing day, and there is really little else that New Jersey could do to convince Williams to stay. 

And even with Howard, they may struggle to convince him to stay. As it was mentioned above, Williams is from Dallas. The Mavericks will have the cap space to sign him to a max contract at the end of the season, and this will be a tough offer to pass up. 

The bottom line is that it is highly unlikely the Nets will be able to convince Williams to stay, and they need to make sure they get something for him. 

There is little doubt that they would be able to convince the Lakers into a lucrative trade package, and they would find countless other suitors should they make it known that they are open to moving him. 

This will allow them to turn this tough situation into a beneficial one.