Deron Williams Rumors: Mavericks PG Reportedly Plans to Opt Out of Contract
Sources told ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon on Friday that Dallas Mavericks point guard Deron Williams plans to opt out of his contract with the team.
Williams has a player option for the 2016-17 season, which would pay him $5.6 million, per Spotrac. According to MacMahon's sources, Williams will be in pursuit of a multiyear deal that he could end his career on.
Just a few days earlier, the 31-year-old gave little indication that he would make such a decision when he spoke with the media after the Oklahoma City Thunder bounced the Mavericks out of the playoffs in five games, per Eddie Sefko of the Dallas News.
"This has been a great year for me as far just being happy and enjoying playing basketball again," he said. "And enjoying all the guys on the team and the coaching staff. It’s been a great situation. Aside from the injuries, everything was really great this season. ... I would love to be back. "
Those injuries held Williams out of 17 games in his lone season with the Mavericks. He'll also need to undergo sports hernia surgery in the offseason, which could affect contract negotiations on the free-agency market.
A drop in his numbers could also throw a wrench in his free-agency plans, as he had his third straight subpar season, dating back to his time with the Brooklyn Nets:
| 17.8 | Points Per Game | 13.8 |
| 8.9 | Assists Per Game | 6.2 |
He's also going to enter a free-agency class that will likely feature big-name point guards such as Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies, Rajon Rondo of the Sacramento Kings and Jeremy Lin of the Charlotte Hornets, who could take interest away from the veteran.
If Williams is able to prove that he can get healthy and is committed to getting his game back up to the level that made him a five-time All-Star, though, he should be able to find what he's looking for in the offseason.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.
