Sacramento Kings On The Phone With The Brooklyn Nets On Acquiring Deron Williams
The Sacramento Kings are not done shaking up things in the capital. After letting go Mike Malone due to differences in style, the Kings management is in reportedly in talks with the Brooklyn Nets to acquire the services of point guard Deron Williams for an assortment of players.
The key pieces in the supposed trade is that the Kings will get Williams alongside backup big man Mason Plumlee in exchange for Darren Collison, former number 2 pick Derrick Williams and Jason Thompson. Former Duke player Plumlee might be the major hurdle to the deal as the Nets are repotedly high on him and consider him as a part of their future core.
"The talks have centered on sending the Nets point guard Darren Collison and forwards Derrick Williams and Jason Thompson as part of a multi-player package for Williams," according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports who first reported the negotiations between the two teams.
The move of the Kings is eerily similar to the way they got small forward Rudy Gay in a multi-player deal last year. Williams, just like Gay, is in the middle of massive deal that pays him annually a little over $20 million. He is scheduled to make a guaranteed salary of $47 million until the end of the 2017 season and any deal that would bring him to SacTown will push the team beyond the luxury tax line.
Nevertheless, the new ownership of Vivek Ranadive has been adamant on the changes, particularly for his desire to put out a faster team. With Malone out, the team is currently looking at other head coaches for the job. The team targeted Chris Mullin but the former player reneged on the offer, in part of his reluctance to guide a team mid-season. Other former coaches who have been attached to the Kings include George Karl and last year Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson.
Could be the last night you hear Mark Jackson announce an NBA game for awhile. He might be Boogie-ing back to coaching soon. (Wink wink.)
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) December 20, 2014
Given the many changes General Manager Pete D'Allesandro has implemented in the past days, it would nto come a surprise if the Kings pull the trigger on the often injured and even characterized as way-past his prime Williams. The former Utah Jazz all-star has underperformed in the Brooklyn Nets jersey which has already seen a couple of coaches fired in a span of three years. General Manager Billy King has all but risen the white flag on the current core after putting his trio of Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson and Williams all on the trading block. It is still unclear if the rest of the NBA has any interest aside from the recent talks with the Kings.