Deron Williams Rumors: Joe Johnson Deal a Sign D-Will Will Choose Nets
When the Hawks traded Joe Johnson to the Nets on Monday night, it might have indicated more than it seemed about other moving pieces on the market this summer. Just not the moving pieces we thought.
Though many have speculated about the implications the Johnson trade has for Dwight Howard's future, the move isn't so much an indication of Howard's future plans, but rather an indication that the biggest free agent available this summer is ready to make a decision.
And that decision means bad news for the Mavericks. Again.
According to CBSSports.com's Ken Berger, the fact that the Nets just committed four years and $90 million to Johnson should serve as a sign to the world that point guard Deron Williams has finally chosen between Dallas and Brooklyn. He writes:
"Though a person close to Williams said Monday night the point guard has been waffling lately on the decision between Brooklyn and Dallas—“He changes every day,” the person said—it’s impossible to believe that the Nets would’ve brought Johnson on board at that price without a wink and a nod from Williams that he was going to Brooklyn, too.
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Berger also adds that a source from the Mavericks camp indicated that the team's meeting with D-Will was a "wasted" trip, and it was one that owner Mark Cuban didn't even bother attending.
So what does it all mean? The Nets are following through on their vow to Williams that if he commits himself to a future in Brooklyn, they will surround him with the kind of talent it takes to compete for a playoff berth. The first step was bringing in Johnson, who will now most likely serve as the Nets' big-ticket complement to D-Will.
The Nets' next step might not include Dwight Howard, as many originally expected—the team has now committed its cap space to Johnson and Gerald Wallace—but the Nets are doing what they can, with the resources they have available, to give their point guard of the future the supporting cast he deserves. That supporting cast now includes a six-time All-Star, a move that essentially would have been a waste unless the Nets had a good idea that Williams planned to join them, too.
Now, all D-Will has to do is accept that five-year, $98.75 million deal and sign on the dotted line.
