NBA Rumors: Breaking Down A Deron Williams-Kings Swap
By Phil Watson
According to a report, the Sacramento Kings are discussing a deal that would send former All-Star point guard Deron Williams to direct owner Vivek Ranadive’s envisioned “jazz” ensemble.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported that while no deal is imminent, the sides are talking about a trade that would reunite Williams for former Utah Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin in California’s capital city.
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Citing league sources, Wojnarowski said the deal would center on Brooklyn getting back point guard Darren Collison and forwards Derrick Williams and Jason Thompson for Williams.
A potential sticking point is that the Kings also want second-year center Mason Plumlee as part of the deal.
This trade, even with Plumlee, would be a huge risk for Sacramento. Williams would presumably be an upgrade over Collison—more on that in a bit—but they would be swapping the three years and $15 million on Collison’s deal for two years at $43 million for Williams.
For giggles, we’ll do one of those “blind taste tests.”
| Rk | Season | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2014-15 | 23 | 23 | 34.7 | .434 | .304 | .775 | 3.6 | 6.1 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 15.6 |
| 2 | 2014-15 | 25 | 25 | 34.5 | .403 | .382 | .880 | 3.1 | 6.8 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 15.6 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/21/2014.
The player on the top line and the player on the bottom line have nearly identical stats this season.
Those players are the point guards that would be included in the deal, Collison and Williams. But which one is which?
You might be a bit surprised.
| Player | Age | G | MP | FG% | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darren Collison | 27 | 23 | 34.7 | .434 | .304 | .775 | 3.6 | 6.1 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 15.6 |
| Deron Williams | 30 | 25 | 34.5 | .403 | .382 | .880 | 3.1 | 6.8 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 15.6 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/21/2014.
As for the other guys in a proposed deal, the two forwards the Kings would send out would be Thompson and Derrick Williams, who have put up these numbers this season.
| Player | Age | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Thompson | 28 | 26 | 26 | 27.1 | .416 | .000 | .609 | 6.8 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 3.4 | 5.5 |
| Derrick Williams | 23 | 21 | 0 | 14.3 | .442 | .357 | .642 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 6.5 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/21/2014.
In return, Sacramento would get Plumlee.
| Player | Season | Age | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason Plumlee | 2014-15 | 24 | 25 | 8 | 18.2 | .490 | .000 | .430 | 5.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 7.6 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 12/21/2014.
Here’s where a potential deal gets sticky if Plumlee is included. The Nets are also shopping talented but oft-injured Brook Lopez and would need someone to play center if Lopez were to be dealt.
Plumlee would be the leading candidate based on what the Nets currently have, because Brooklyn wouldn’t likely be able to get more than spare parts in return for Lopez, who despite talent and relatively young age (he’ll be 27 in April), has missed nine games this season and a whopping 143 since the start of the 2011-12 season. That’s more than half of the 255 games the Nets have played in that span.
Throw in the fact Lopez is owed $15.7 million this year and has a player option for $16.7 million next season and what you have is a player who is going to be extremely difficult to even get 10 cents on the dollar in return, in terms of talent.
The Kings, meanwhile, are on the hook with DeMarcus Cousins for roughly $61 million for the next four seasons—including this year—and have Rudy Gay locked up at a cost of around $59.3 million through the 2017-18 season, with the final year being a player option for approximately $14.3 million.
Even if you take out the cap hold for Derrick Williams next season ($8.7 million), Collision’s $5 million and Thompson’s $6.4 million, by adding Deron Williams, Sacramento would already have $55.4 million committed for next season.
And that doesn’t include Williams’ early-termination option season of 2016-17. If Williams were to decline the ETO (and give the dollars involved and his recent play, why would he invoke it?), the Kings would be on the hook for another $22.3 million for a player who would be 32 years old and has been showing signs of decline for the last three or four seasons.
The ankle surgery Williams had over the summer was supposed to make him a closer facsimile to the player he once was in Utah—the guy who averaged basically 20 points and 10 assists for four straight years.
But at 15.6 points and 6.8 assists per game, Williams looks a lot more like the out-of-shape, uninspired Deron Williams that Brooklyn fans have “enjoyed” the last two seasons.
If I were the Kings, I wouldn’t touch this.
Then again, I wouldn’t have jettisoned Mike Malone, either, so there’s that.