The New Jersey Nets have just three games remaining on their lockout-truncated docket and still can only hypothesize about what Deron Williams will do this summer.
Owner Mikihail Prokhorov and the rest of the Nets organization knew what they were getting into when they traded for Williams upon falling out of the Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes last season. The point guard has an Early Termination Option that he can, and will, exercise after this year. New Jersey knew that he could leave easier than he came.
But that wasn’t the plan. The plan was to use this season to convince Williams to stay, to show him what their young guns could accomplish under his direction, and to ultimately, surround him with an array of proven talent.
As we know all too well, though, not every NBA related blueprint for success can be actualized. Not only has Brook Lopez spent most of the season on the shelf, but Williams himself has missed a chunk of games and the Nets failed to acquire Dwight Howard, a player who would have all but guaranteed their point man signing on for the long haul.
Despite the clear abuse of Murphy’s law in this situation, acquiring Williams was a risk New Jersey needed to take. Along with him, came excitement and hope for the future, two essential intangibles for any franchise preparing to break into a new market.
If you want to point a finger at an unnecessary risk, look no further than the Gerald Wallace trade. Wallace is an established scorer and respected veteran, but he’s hardly a superstar and nowhere near enough to convince Williams to stay. And while the Nets can target sound complimentary pieces in Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Eric Gordon over the summer, the absence of a franchise-altering superstar from this year’s free-agency pool seriously damages their cause.
But does Williams have any better avenues available to explore?
Certainly, he’d love to play for the Lakers, but that’s financially impossible. The Mavericks will undoubtedly pose a threat, but with Dirk Nowitzki three-years deep into the wrong side of a 30 and a deteriorating supporting cast, is the future really that bright in Dallas?
At best, Mark Cuban can sell Williams on playing for his hometown and the Mavericks intention to monitor the Howard situation. But the Nets can argue the latter as well, and add an extra year and a boatload more money to the mix.
Williams’ decision will be based upon the future. It’s not just about contending for a title next season, but contending for one three years from now. That means the time has come for him to take a risk of his own.
Other teams will toil with the idea of adding Williams, but ultimately, it will come down to the Nets and Mavericks. And from there, it will boil down to which organization has the brighter future.
Is it the Mavericks, with an established, yet aging, superstar and a dream of eventually prying Howard away from the Magic? Or is it the Nets, who make up for what they lack in proven talent with their ability to offer the most competitive package for Howard moving forward?
That’s dilemma, that’s the complexity of the situation and that’s potentially the nine-figure conflict plaguing Williams, the Nets, Mavericks and any other potential suitors.
And while this saga continues to be wrought with uncertainty, a breaking point is rapidly approaching. Once again, there are only three games remaining for Williams and the Nets; three final buzzers separate Williams and the next chapter in his career.
Where will that chapter take him?
For the first time, in two years, that’s about to become Williams’ burden to bear.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His basketball musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
