And then there were two, apparently.
Free agent point guard Deron Williams, the clear No. 1 player available on the market, has narrowed his choices down to re-signing with the Brooklyn Nets or signing with his hometown Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN.
Both teams had long been rumored to be the favorites, but Nets general manager Billy King likely feels a little more emboldened by Williams’s decision to still include the Nets.
Once the Nets were unable to acquire Dwight Howard at the trade deadline, it was assumed that Williams would strongly favor the 2011 NBA?champion Mavericks. Earlier in June, Williams told the Los Angeles Times that he was “not really in the mood for being part of a rebuilding process.” That would seem to rule out the Nets, who have Gerald Wallace, Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries and Gerald Green all as free agents.
Since Williams is on Brooklyn, he can sign for more money if he stays — five years and close to $100 million. The Mavericks can only offer about $75 million over four years. But Williams is from The Colony, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, and 2007 NBA MVP Dirk Nowitzki is already locked up.
Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.
