Deron Williams Trade: What's Next for the Utah Jazz?
Deron Williams is now a New Jersey Net.
For the Nets, this mean they have acquired a legitimate star and a player they can now build around. Williams offers NJ an All-Star-caliber player that can potentially take the team to the next level.
But what does this mean for the Utah Jazz? They have traded their best player and a man that has at times singlehandedly taken the team on his back.
So where do the Jazz go from here? Here are the next steps for the Utah franchise.
Figuring Out Their Big Man Situation
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The Jazz now have Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap and Derrick Favors. The team now needs to figure out who will stay and who will go.
Williams was the guard that made it all work. He was able to distribute the ball and make everyone around him better.
This new Jazz team will need to re-evaluate the pieces they have and work from there.
Pick Up Where They Left Off
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While Williams is a great player, Devin Harris can still provide the speed, scoring and assists needed keep the Jazz afloat.
It is obvious that the team is not as good without Williams, but it will still most probably be in the playoffs and can still make some noise in the Western Conference.
Draft Picks
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In the trade, the Jazz acquired two valuable first-round picks that they can use to draft the swingman they have not been able to get the last few years.
Salary Flexibility
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After this year, Andrei Kirilenko's $18 million contract will come off the books, and they will have a ton of cap space to make moves. They have been fighting the luxury tax for years, and they finally will have the money to spend.
Coaching Stability
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Now that Jerry Sloan and Williams are gone, a new regime starts in Utah. The team needs to figure out the coaching situation and start new. This is a new age for the Jazz, and they need stability at the helm.
Clarity
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Look at what happened in Denver. The Jazz now never have to go through this. They got ahead of the game and made their decision to get rid of Williams before he became a distraction next year. His contract situation is now the Nets' problem.
The team can now move on and not worry about the huge headache that could have been another Carmelo Anthony deal.
Moving On
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It's hard to move on. The Jazz made a move that they thought was right, and now they must accept all of the responsibility that goes along with it.
The fans will be angry, and the wins may not come as often, but the team must move forward and try to continue to be a top contender in the Western Conference.
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