After failing to make a move on the Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes, the New Jersey Nets have acquired a superstar of their own, trading for Deron Williams of the Utah Jazz.
Williams, considered one of the best point guards of his generation and selected twice as an All-Star, was traded to the Nets for Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, and two New Jersey first-round draft picks, according to the Nets website.
The Nets, in another deal, sent forward Troy Murphy to the Golden State Warriors for center Dan Gadzuric and power forward Brandan Wright, ESPN reported.
Williams “is one of the premier point guards in the NBA, and his skill and talent level will bolster our franchise as we continue to build towards our goal of becoming a championship-caliber team,” said Nets General Manager Billy King.
This season, the 26-year-old Williams has averaged 21.3 points, 9.7 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. He is the kind of superstar that Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has claimed the team needs before it moves to Brooklyn.
“Rarely are you able to trade for somebody that’s one of the top players at their position,” Nets coach Avery Johnson said of Williams, according to ESPN. “We know we had to give up a lot to get him, but we felt it was worth it.”
With longtime Jazz coach Jerry Sloan gone as of two weeks ago and now Williams’s departure, the Jazz may have difficulty getting into the playoffs now with a 31-26 record, good enough for eighth in the Western Conference.
Williams, considered one of the best point guards of his generation and selected twice as an All-Star, was traded to the Nets for Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, and two New Jersey first-round draft picks, according to the Nets website.
The Nets, in another deal, sent forward Troy Murphy to the Golden State Warriors for center Dan Gadzuric and power forward Brandan Wright, ESPN reported.
Williams “is one of the premier point guards in the NBA, and his skill and talent level will bolster our franchise as we continue to build towards our goal of becoming a championship-caliber team,” said Nets General Manager Billy King.
This season, the 26-year-old Williams has averaged 21.3 points, 9.7 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. He is the kind of superstar that Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has claimed the team needs before it moves to Brooklyn.
“Rarely are you able to trade for somebody that’s one of the top players at their position,” Nets coach Avery Johnson said of Williams, according to ESPN. “We know we had to give up a lot to get him, but we felt it was worth it.”
With longtime Jazz coach Jerry Sloan gone as of two weeks ago and now Williams’s departure, the Jazz may have difficulty getting into the playoffs now with a 31-26 record, good enough for eighth in the Western Conference.
