Deron Williams plans to turn down his player option worth more than $5.621MM and hit free agency to seek a multiyear contract this summer, sources told Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (ESPN Now link). The Mavericks and the point guard have mutual interest in doing a new deal, according to MacMahon.
The 11-year veteran who turns 32 in June likely needs offseason surgery to address a sports hernia. The Jeff Schwartz client said in the aftermath of the Mavs’ playoff ouster this week that he’d love to return to Dallas, and coach Rick Carlisle said he’d also like to see him return. President of basketball operations Donnie Nelson pointed to what he saw as a renewed sense of enthusiasm in Williams’ play this season, the first for Williams with the Mavericks.
Dallas will have a clearer shot at opening enough cap room to sign a player for the middle-tier maximum salary of an estimated $26MM with Williams’ option out of the way, as we noted earlier this week, but re-signing Williams would probably come at a cost greater than the value of his option (Twitter link). MacMahon thinks the market will afford Williams a decent raise on the close to $5.379MM salary he took home this year. Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post sees Williams ending up with at least twice as much as his option would have given him (Twitter link).
Much of the free agent money around the league last summer had already been committed by the time Williams worked his buyout from the Nets and signed with the Mavericks in mid-July. He averaged 14.1 points, 5.8 assists and 2.3 turnovers in 32.4 minutes per game this season, production not too far removed from what he put up in his final season with Brooklyn.
Is Williams the right point guard for the Mavericks? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Unless they can get Conley, D-Will wouldn’t be a bad option on a short-term deal.
How about Ricky Rubio? I mean if Dallas and D-Will can’t get a contract going why not go after Ricky rubio? Very young player but he’s not a consistent shooter but he is a heck of a passer. Remember when we struggle this year with rebounds. Why not make a trade for Demarcus Cousins? It would take a big package but it’s worth it. Think about it:
Ricky Rubio
Wesley Matthews
Chandler Parsons
Dirk Nowitski
Demarcus Cousins
That’s pretty good right there.
What exactly are they going to trade for those two?
Well we know that Powell and Anderson are untouchable. Trade mcgee and some cash for cousins. Trade Raymond Felton of Devin Harris for Ricky Rubio. Problem solved
Are you for real?
Yes I’m for real. Look Dallas knows that there not going to go after Dwight Howard Kevin Durant or LeBron James. The next best thing is trading for Rubio and Cousins. With Rubio you get a young point guard who can take time with his shooting numbers and you got Cousins who wants to be out of Sacramento because Cousins wants a winning franchise and Dallas would be the best destination for him. Why? One he is great at the pick and roll. Two he is a great rebounder and he is a consistent three point shooter. Three he can give u a good presence in the locker room.
Except there’s no way Sacramento deals Cousins unless they got a ton of picks and young players
Right but I see that the Mavericks can get Cousins into Dallas. With or without draft picks.
You have no sense of how trades work in the NBA. You wouldn’t get much of anything for Javale McGee, much less Cousins. You could trade Powell, Anderson, and McGee and they would still hang up the phone
Just a quick refresher, they pretty much wanted ALL of the Lakers’ youngsters last year when LAL wanted to trade for Boogie. He’s stuck there until his contract’s up.
Cuban will end up doing the same thing as Morey, try to get a superstar only to fail and then try patching up the team any way they can.
Cuban and Donnie will do whatever they can to get superstars in Dallas. Mike Conley and Pau Gasol are the two big names that the Mavericks could go after too. Dallas will have a $48 million dollar cap space on them with Deron Williams opt out and Parsons opt out and Zaza Pachulia a free agent as well. This lineup:
Mike Conley
Wesley Matthews
Justin Anderson
Dirk Nowitski
Pau Gasol
That’s very decent if I do say so myself
I wouldn’t be to sure about that. Sacramento is rebuilding and Cousins wants to win. So cousins can go to Dallas because we have a winning atmosphere.
You honestly think the wolves would trade Rubio for that trash? I see your posts all the time. You are just as bad as delusional laker fans, if not worse.
Just giving out the facts my friend and telling you the truth about the Mavericks. I’m a kobe Bryant fan but not a laker fan. And yes Rubio doesn’t want to be back in Minnesota, because Thibs might not like rubios style of play.
2/20 would be a good deal for both.
I don’t see Deron as being a long-term solution. Bigger issue for the Mavs is trying to secure Parsons.
Opting out was an easy decision for Williams. Despite the injury, he should be able to easily double this year’s salary.