Deron Williams Trade: How the New Jersey Nets Shot Themselves in the Foot

Just a short while ago, the New Jersey Nets managed to make a big trade despite missing out on Carmelo Anthony.  In a deal that nobody saw coming, the team acquired All-Star point guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz.  In return, Utah received point guard Devin Harris and rookie power forward Derrick Favors.

The Golden State Warriors were also involved, giving up draft picks that will be given to the Jazz.  In making this trade, the Nets surely improved their team in the short term.  However, in the long term, owner Mikhail Prokhorov may have dragged his team down further.

Let's take a look at the players involved, starting with the biggest name.  Deron Williams has been a stud point guard since being drafted third overall out of the University of Illinois in 2005.  He is a great shooter and elite passer, averaging 17.3 points and 9.1 assists for his career.  His 2010 has been great as well, as he is averaging a career-high 21.3 points per game in an MVP-caliber season.

Now let's look at who the Nets are giving up.  First, there is Favors.  Like Williams, he was also the third overall pick in his draft class (2010).  At 6'10" and 246 pounds, scouts expected him to become an elite big man.

Yet, his rookie season has been disappointing.  He has only averaged six points and five rebounds per game and has struggled to make an impact in head coach Avery Johnson's system.

The other player involved is Devin Harris, who played for Johnson as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.  He isn't as elite a point guard as Williams, but goes out and does his job night after night.  Plus, he and Nets center Brook Lopez have formed a good tandem on a team that despite being out of the Eastern Conference's elite, has a bright future.  That being said, why give that up for a player who may leave after a year?

Call me crazy, but this is possibly one of the worst moves Mikhail Prokhorov could have made.  Like a jilted lover spurned by the one they desire, he went out and settled for the talented but not as team-changing Williams.  Ultimately, Prokhorov will be spurned again and the team will be hurting worse than it was before.

Don't get me wrong.  Deron Williams is a great player, but he is not the answer for the Nets, who are looking to rebuild around a veteran who will stay long term.  He is prone to clashing with coaches, and Avery Johnson simply will not stand for that.  The fact that he drove Jerry Sloan, a Hall-of-Fame coach who spent over 20 years coaching the Jazz, to resignation astounds me. 

On top of that, let's not forget that Williams has an ego just like every other top player in the NBA.  Was he going to take a pay cut to stay in small-market Utah once his contract expired?  Most likely not.

The Nets, who currently play in Newark, New Jersey, are planning a move to Brooklyn in a couple of years, but New York will always be Knicks Country.  Combine that with Williams' desire to play with Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, and there's no reason he would sign an extension with the Nets.

Now let's have another look at the players the Nets gave up to get Williams.  In Harris, they gave up someone who despite not being a top point guard, had developed a good rhythm with Brook Lopez and the rest of the team.  Now, Lopez's stats will almost certainly dip with the shooter Williams running the point.  The assists will be there, but there's no question that Williams will be a shoot-first guard.

Even worse, the team lost Derrick Favors.  Sure, he wasn't living up to expectations, but the man is only a rookie!  On top of that, he's only 19 years old and has plenty of time to develop. 

Basically, Prokhorov got impatient and decided to unload Favors.  Naturally, other teams were interested in the type of player he could become and were more than willing to entertain offers.  But, were they ready to give up top players for him?  Probably not.

Then, the Russian billionaire got lucky when he called the Utah Jazz.  They had Deron Williams, a man who had run a team legend out of town and had made it clear that he didn't want to be in Utah for the long term.  He was becoming a team distraction and the Nets were offering sufficient compensation, so why not make the move?

At first glance, the Nets trading for Deron Williams seems like a great deal.  He'll give the Nets the closest thing they've had to a leader since Jason Kidd and the team may see general improvement with him on the hardwood. 

Still, there is no reason to believe that he will stay with the team once his contract expires.  He wants to be on a big market team, and the Nets just aren't that.  Basically, Prokhorov gave up on a top young talent in Favors and a good point guard in Harris to rent a player for a year-and-a-half.

That being said, in a couple of years, the Nets will be right back where they started from in a couple of years.  They'll have the new arena in Brooklyn and perhaps a new generation of fans, but what will they have to show for it?  Besides Brook Lopez and a few decent other decent talents, the answer is simple.

Nothing.