Deron Williams' Next Stop: Home?

by: MiLo

LeBron James moved back to Cleveland and Kevin Garnett donned a Timberwolves jersey after eight years of playing with the Celtics and Nets. Is it time for Deron Williams to come back to Utah and play for Salt Lake City? Before we can answer this question we need to consider two things: is D-Will reaching his full potential as a player in Brooklyn and how well will Deron fit in with Utah Jazz.

Deron Williams

www.nypost.com

Williams is one of the few true point guards in the NBA right now, and as a true point guard, he wants to find the best possible way to get buckets, either by finding the open man or getting himself free for a shot. This caused him to average a double-double in points and assists for most of his career. However, when Joe Johnson arrived in Brooklyn to play with the Nets, instead of increasing the assists of Deron as a go-to shooter, Joe's tendency to dribble and create his own shots and shots for others, lowered the assist count of Deron Williams. If Deron played like a combo guard, a more common take on a point guard these days, there will be no problem, but because of D-Will's true point guard style, he is not exactly a perfect partner to Joe Johnson, who is the higher paid and more recent All-Star of the team. That is why I believe that Deron Williams is not reaching his full potential as a player with the Brooklyn Nets.

Joe Johnson

www.newsday.com

Now that we established that Deron is not reaching his full potential with the Nets, it is time to determine whether he is a perfect fit for Utah Jazz. In order to decide that, we have to determine the roles that he will be playing in the team. As a ten-year veteran in the NBA, Williams will bring experience to the Jazz which they lack. The longest career a current player in Utah Jazz has right now is only five years, so with what Deron has been through and with his leadership, he can help the team go deep into the season. Secondly, the Salt Lake City based team has a very young and energetic team that can finish plays well. They have great shooters in Gordon Hayward and even their forwards, like Derrick Favors, can shoot good perimeter shots. In addition to that, they have players that can finish strong at the rim like Jeremy Evans and Rudy Gobert. In order for them to maximize the productivity of the team, they need a player like D-Will to set the plays and give the players opportunities to score. Not only can Deron be a playmaker and the leader of the team, he has the ability to be the go-to guy in end-game situations. Deron can keep his cool and because of his experience, he's not easily rattled by pressure. So I think that Deron Williams should go back to Utah Jazz and not only will it be a big gain for Utah Jazz, Deron will have a better chance of being the MVP, since the move will most likely open an opportunity for him to average a double-double in points and assists again.

Derrick Favors (left) and Gordon Hayward (right)
www.rantsports.com

Deron Williams is a great fit for Utah Jazz, but because he still has a contract with the Brooklyn Nets, the only way for him to be in Utah by next season is to be traded. However, with Deron's high salary and status, it is impossible to get him without letting go of good and promising players. Two players that helped Utah this year that I did not mention earlier are Trevor Booker and Rookie Dante Exum. With Deron Williams gone, Brooklyn would want to get a young, promising guard who can eventually be a franchise player. Since Dante is a rookie he still has his whole career ahead of him, which makes him a good choice for the trade. Trevor can contribute his shooting and rebounding skills to take off some of the weight off of the other forward's shoulders. Utah should not only acquire Deron, but they should take advantage of the trade to get another key component. With Rudy Gobert playing center, I think that Derrick Favors should not play center and stick to being a power forward. This gives Derrick more options in offense and gives Rudy the help he needs in the frontcourt. In order for that to happen, they need to acquire a forward, who can shoot, in the trade, so that they can focus on acquiring a center in this year's draft. The shooter I have in mind is no other than, Mirza Teletovic. He currently has a condition which prevents him from playing, but the Nets and the doctors believe he will fully recover. When healthy, Mirza will be a lethal weapon of Utah and will increase the options of Deron. I would also included Elijah Millsap and Grant Jerrett from the Jazz in the trade. So the trade in its entirety is Deron Williams and Mirza Teletovic from Brooklyn for Dante Exum, Trevor Booker, Elijah Millsap and Grant Jerrett from Utah.

Dante Exum

www.ransports.com

Mirza Teletovic

www.nkp.ba

Ultimately, I think that Deron is a better fit for Utah than for Brooklyn. His style of play requires for him to control the ball. That is exactly why he stopped being an All-Star when Joe Johnson came along. All in all, Deron Williams is a great player and he deserves to be in a team that he can flourish in. Hopefully this trade becomes reality.

What do you think? Should Deron Williams go back to Utah? If yes, what will be your trade? Let me know by leaving a comment. Have a great day!