Deron Williams to Nets: Winners and Losers of New Jersey Nets, Utah Jazz Deal

Deron Williams to Nets came out of nowhere this morning and as people still try and make sense of what happened to make this deal possible, it's time to break down the winners and the losers of this deal.

There are plenty of angles to look at this from so we'll be going over all the people that have been impacted by this huge move. Who do you think the winners and the losers are and how do you see this impacting the league going forward?

Leave all of that and more in the comments.

Winner No. 5: Jerry Sloan

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ATLANTA - NOVEMBER 12: Head coach Jerry Sloan of the Utah Jazz against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on November 12, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, U

Jerry Sloan unexpectedly stepped down recently as the head coach of the Utah Jazz.

After the news broke, there were whispers that there was a disconnect between Sloan and Deron Williams and that it may have had something to do with why the long-time coach walked away from the team and the game in the middle of the season.

People changed the way they looked at Williams and now, with Utah making a judgment call on their star, Sloan is somewhat vindicated, even if he is no longer on the bench.

Loser No. 5: Derrick Favors

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LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 18: Derrick Favors #14 of the New Jersey Nets and the Rookie Team goes up for a shot against Serge Ibaka #9 of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Sophomore Team in the second half during the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and Youth J

Derrick Favors wasn't exactly living up to the hype in New Jersey.

The rookie struggled with the Nets and had his playing time go up-and-down in New Jersey and it won't get much better in Utah either. Right now, Favors is caught in a log jam behind Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson and either someone has to go, or the young man rots on the bench.

That doesn't sound like an appealing situation for Favors.

Winner No. 4: Oklahoma City Thunder

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NEW YORK - DECEMBER 22: Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on December 22, 2010 in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading a

With Utah out of the picture, it's the Oklahoma City Thunder's division to lose.

In fact, the Thunder are mortal locks to win the division this year. Portland is dinged up and now Utah is a distant memory after this trade. Oklahoma City has been playing better and better after a slow start to the season and Kevin Durant and company are in great position.

If the Thunder can get home court in the first round, they could be very dangerous.

Loser No. 4: Devin Harris

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 22: Devin Harris #34 of the New Jersey Nets drives the ball around Jarrett Jack #2 of the New Orleans Hornets at the New Orleans Arena on December 22, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Hornets defeated the Nets 105-91.

Devin Harris was going to be traded no matter what.

The destination, however, was up in the air. Some rumors had him going back to Dallas, some had him headed to Portland and one even had Atlanta interested. Those all would have been fine destinations. Utah, however, is not one of them.

Harris went from one bad team to another and he's stuck against some of the best teams in the NBA. Well, good luck I suppose.

Winner No. 3: Deron Williams

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LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 20: Deron Williams #8 of the Utah Jazz and the Western Conference moves the ball in the 2011 NBA All-Star Game at Staples Center on February 20, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agr

It may be shocking that Deron Williams is this low, but it's the truth.

Williams may not be happy that he was traded to New Jersey without his knowledge, but he's heading to a place where the ownership is committed to winning and will be in a position to surround him with talent if he chooses to stay with the Nets long term.

I'm sure he can be sold on the thought of possibly playing with Dwight Howard in a couple of years.

Loser No. 3: Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers

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DENVER, CO - FEBRUARY 10: Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, uses a personal electonic device as he sits on the bench during warm ups against the Denver Nuggets during NBA action at the Pepsi Center on February 10, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. The N

Before today's monster news, the Dallas Mavericks looked like the favorites to land Devin Harris.

The Portland Trail Blazers were also reportedly in serious talks with New Jersey to land the point guard. Now, both have to go back to the drawing board to try and figure out what they can do, if anything, before the deadline.

I'm sure both teams, who look to be very active in the market, will figure something out, but it's the loss of the time spent talking that hurts the most.

Winner No. 2: New Jersey Nets

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CHARLOTTE, NC - FEBRUARY 11: Head coach Avery Johnson of the New Jersey Nets calls a play against the Charlotte Bobcats during their game at Time Warner Cable Arena on February 11, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowled

The New Jersey Nets had been striking out left and right since the offseason.

First the team missed out on LeBron James and then missed out twice on Carmelo Anthony before the Knicks landed the superstar. Now, New Jersey has respectability and the ability to contend into the future with a top point guard.

New Jersey will become a threat in the free agent market. The gloves are off.

Loser No. 2: New York Knicks

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LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 20: Amare Stoudemire #1 of the New York Knicks and the Eastern Conference stands with Carmelo Anthony #15 of the Denver Nuggets and the Western Conference after the Western Conference won 148-143 victory in the 2011 NBA All-Sta

Today was supposed to be New York's day.

Carmelo Anthony was going to suit up for the New York Knicks and play in front of the crowd at Madison Square Garden for the first time. Now, the Nets have stolen the headlines from the Knicks with this blockbuster trade.

Even when the Knicks win, they lose.

Winner No. 1: Mikhail Prokhorov

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NEW YORK - MAY 19: New Jersey Nets Owner Mikhail Prokhorov addresses the media during a press conference at the Four Seasons Hotel on May 19, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Mikhail Prokhorov was quickly turning into a punchline in the NBA.

He was supposed to come in and be wheeling and dealing and making power moves. However, he had missed out on two of the best players in the game and was losing the battle to James Dolan and the New York Knicks.

Now who's laughing? The billionaire struck and no one ever saw it coming. Not only that, but he drove up the price for Carmelo Anthony. This is a massive win for the owner.

Loser No. 1: Utah's Fans

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LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 29: Gordon Hayward #20 of the Utah Jazz shoots against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on December 29, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The Jazz won 103-85. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees tha

The Utah Jazz have a very loyal fanbase and now they have to deal with this.

These fans lost their beloved coach and their favorite, star player in less than a month and it's full-on rebuilding in Utah. Not only that, but the Jazz have to do it in a division where Oklahoma City is poised to be successful for a long time.

It could be rough to be a Jazz fan for the next couple of years.