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As it turns out, the Brooklyn Nets weren't wrong to believe a trade market exists for point guard Deron Williams.
The Sacramento Kings, who previously showed interest in Williams, could ring up the Nets as Plan B should their pursuit of Rajon Rondo fall short.
The Kings expressed some interest in Deron Williams last season. If Rondo says no, the Kings could call Brooklyn for PG help.
— Jason Jones (@mr_jasonjones) July 3, 2015
The Kings appear desperate to find a player capable of improving their current lot in the Western Conference, even if that someone is a 31-year-old point guard on the downside of his career.
The Nets have been trying to deal Williams, who has failed to live up to the gargantuan five-year, $99-million deal they inked him to in 2012. Ransacked by injuries and plagued by a rapidly declining skill set, the five-time All-Star hit new lows last season, averaging 13 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 6.6 assists in 31.1 minutes per game while shooting just 38.7 percent from the field.
His PER also dipped to a near league-average 15.7, and Williams lost his starting job to career backup Jarrett Jack.
But here's the rub: Williams is owed $21 million next season and $22 million the season thereafter. To add insult to injury, Williams has a 15 percent trade kicker.
The Kings are desperate, of course. They made an incredibly short-sighted deal to clear cap space, trading away future assets like Nik Stauskas, but free agents have shown an unwillingness to accept their money. Both Monta Ellis and Wesley Matthews passed on the Kings, leaving Rondo as their best best.
Williams projects as a better fit than Rondo. The Kings need outside shooting and Rondo is a non-factor from outside the paint. Williams is a capable 3-point shooter, having hit 36.6 percent from deep over the past two seasons.
The odd man out seems to be Darren Collison, who's on an affordable deal, and might be better than both Rondo and Williams at this point. Collison averaged 16.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 5.6 assists while playing solid defense at the point last season before a core tear ended his year.
