NBA Rumors: Best Landing Spots for Deron Williams Other Than Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks are looking more and more like the inevitable destination of what now appears to be the best player on the market this summer, Deron Williams. 

According to Ken Berger of CBSSports, 

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A person who has worked with Williams on a daily basis in the past reiterated this week that going home to Dallas remains an overwhelmingly attractive option for the 27-year-old point guard, who was shipped to the Nets against his will in what turned out to be a brilliant move by the Utah Jazz last February. 

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But let's just say for the sake of discussion he doesn't go to Dallas. Mark Cuban shockingly offends him somehow or something happens where there's sudden disdain for one another. If the last six months have taught us anything between Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, it's that anything is possible.

So if he didn't go to Dallas where else could he go? Well I went through and looked at all the teams that have the cap space for him ad these are all the teams that can afford him. There are some that have no possibility, some that have a slight possibility and a few that are reasonable possibilities.

Here they are, ranked in order of likelihood.  

Cap Room Is There but Interest Is Not

Cleveland Cavaliers: They have the cap space but with the presumptive Rookie of the Year, and potentially a future MVP in the fold, there's no way the Cavaliers are shopping point guards this year. 

Detroit Pistons: Are they ready to give up on Brandon Knight already? I doubt it. Perhaps if D-Will shocked them out of their skulls and said he really wanted to play in the Motor City, they'd think about it, but the likelihood that he'd be interested means they aren't going to do any shopping. 

Houston Rockets: The Rockets fell in love with Kyle Lowery this year and have decided that they are going to be building their team around him. They'll be looking to add that big name center...still...but they aren't going to be looking for any point guards. 

New Orleans Hornets

The New Orleans Hornets traded away Chris Paul, their superstar point guard last offseason. With only $36 million on the books next year, technically they could re-sign him. That would be ironic as all get out, which is alone enough reason to put them on the list. 

Realistically, though, the chances are very thin that Williams would want to come to New Orleans. This would take a miracle to get done. 

Charlotte Bobcats

The Charlotte Bobcats are on here for only two reasons. First, they have shown indication lately that they aren't confident in their future being D.J. Augustin. Second, they will have the money to offer a max contract to Williams. 

Other than that, though, there's really no reason to expect that Williams would be interested in coming to Charlotte. This is an extremely remote possibility, but maybe D-Will falls in love with the idea of working with Anthony Davis or something? I know it's a huge stretch and it's the tiniest of possibilities, but it's a possibility. 

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns and Steve Nash could see their longstanding relationship come to an end this summer when Nash's contract expires. It's possible that Nash will go elsewhere where he has a better chance to win a championship this year. 

With only $31 million committed the Suns could seek out  Deron Williams and another big player through free agency or trade. The thing that could be attractive to Williams is the way that the city of Phoenix loves their point guards. 

Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors already have Jose Calderon, one of the more underrated point guards in the game, but there were some rumors they might be willing to trade him away. 

Let's say, for the sake of argument, they were able to trade him out for a comparable player at a wing. Then remember that the Raptors have last year's top draft choice Jonas Valančiūnas coming in next year as a rookie. 

Combine that with this year's top draft choice, whomever that might be, but let's say it's someone along the lines of Harrison Barnes. 

When you look at a staring five of Williams, DeMar DeRozan, Barnes, Andrea Bargnani and Valančiūnas you have a pretty decent potential for a quality team. I'm not saying it's likely but there's a chance that playing with a lot of good, young talent could appeal to Williams. 

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics didn't do anything at the deadline and didn't trade Rajon Rondo, but that doesn't mean they won't during the offseason. While I do find it unlikely it's not impossible. 

One thing that could make it more possible is if they could work out a deal for Deron Williams at the same time. If they could ink Williams, and turn Rondo into a big man via a trade, it's feasible. 

Williams would probably be open to it simply because of the legacy that the Celtics have. There are two teams, the Celtics and the Lakers, who have such a legacy that the legacy itself is part of the sell. Additionally, with the cap space Boston has, they would be a team that could rebuild quickly. 

Indiana Pacers

If you put Deron Williams on the Pacers they would be just darin' teams to match up with them at the point guard between Williams and Darren Collison. 

Would Williams be enough to put the Pacers on par with the Bulls and the Heat? Possibly. Here's the catch, though. While they do have the money to sign him, two of their young stars, Roy Hibbert and George Hill, are going to be restricted free agents next year. 

Adding Williams might cost them one of the other two. 

Denver Nuggets

Denver has the money to offer a max contract, and while they have Ty Lawson, I'm not sure that he's really a franchise point guard on the level of Deron Williams. He certainly could be a sixth man of the year candidate. 

For Deron Williams there are two big reasons that he could want to come to Denver. They have a huge amount of quality players but none of them are quite on the level of superstar players. 

In essence Williams could make the Denver Nuggets "Chicago Bulls West" and himself "Derrick Rose West" in the sense that if you add Williams to that very deep team they become a championship contender and Williams would be the unquestioned leader of the team. 

If Williams would like to win an MVP award someday, Denver might be the best place for him to go. 

New Jersey Nets

If this report from Anthony Sulla-Heffinger of the New York Post is to believed, then it's not impossible that Williams will stay in New Jersey. 

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Nets guard Deron Williams did not make any guarantees he would be calling Brooklyn home next season, but he said he does hope to play at Barclays Center next season. During a signing event at Metro PCS in the Fulton Mall, Williams had nothing but good things to say about the Nets’ future stomping grounds. "[The Barclays Center] is going to be state of the art, it's going to be the best arena in the NBA hands down," Williams said. "I’m excited to see it when it’s complete and hopefully play there."

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That doesn't sound like the most promising assurance in the world, but it is a long way from no. After the Mavericks, the team with the best chance of getting Williams is the Nets. It's not just the new stadium either. It's the money.

If they can win the lottery and get Anthony Davis, it sure would help.