NBA Rumors: Why Deron Williams Must Avoid Dallas Mavericks

Since before the 2012 NBA season began, we've become accustomed to hearing rampant speculation connecting Deron Williams and the Dallas Mavericks.

Call it Mark Cuban's fantasy, D-Will coming home or the Mavericks taking a massive free-agent gamble, it's very clear that Dallas is putting its eggs in Williams' basket this summer.

But is the feeling mutual?

ESPN's Marc Stein offered a less than encouraging update for Mavs fans hoping to hear that Williams was chomping at the bit to sign in Dallas.

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One source well-acquainted with Williams' thinking told ESPN.com this weekend that the Mavericks, in their current state, have no better than a "50-50 shot" of getting D-Will's signature in July ... despite the fact that the Nets aren't any closer to landing Howard than they are.

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We can sit here and ruminate on which directions Williams may be leaning in, but we just don't know until it comes from Deron himself.

We've scrutinized and analyzed where D-Will might best fit moving forward, and the Mavericks have been touted as the most attractive landing spot for quite some time.

But why exactly is that the case?

This is a team that was just swept out of the first round of the playoffs. This is a roster that isn't exactly flush with talent as it's currently constructed.

Most importantly, this is not a youthful team.

Williams will be 28 years old at the end of June. He understands that this will likely be his best opportunity to control his destiny and win a championship.

"I want to win," he told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. "At the end of the day, I'm not getting any younger. I'll be 28 when I sign this next deal, I have to look for the best situation for me."

Is that really in Dallas?

Dirk Nowitzki remains an incredibly skilled player, but he's going to be 34 years old this summer.

The one-legged sniper took a step back this season from a statistical standpoint, and he shot the lowest percentage of his career (45.7 percent) since his rookie campaign.

Will he even be around for the duration of Williams' next contract?

Shawn Marion showed us that he's not done just yet this season with his impressive defensive play, but he celebrated his 34th birthday on Monday and isn't getting any younger.

Registering a mere 44.6 percent clip from the floor while averaging just 10.6 points per game (worst mark since his rookie season), Marion doesn't exactly present himself as a dynamic third option on the offensive end.

While the Mavericks will have salary cap space to play around with this summer, bringing in Williams on a maximum contract will really eat into that plan considerably.

One has to think that Williams realizes that.

Whether it's in Brooklyn with the Nets or with another team that nobody is currently talking about, Williams has other options outside of the Mavericks.

Is playing with an aging Nowitzki and without a strong supporting cast the gamble that Williams wants to define his career?

That's what he's got to figure out.