So, just exactly why would the Utah Jazz trade a 26-year-old franchise point guard who was averaging 21.3 points and 9.7 assists per game? The reality is that the Jazz felt like they had no choice.
Williams had one year left on a three-year Jazz contract, and the team felt he was not going to stay in Utah following the 2012 season.
“The focus we really basically had was, ‘What was the percentage that Deron would stay or not stay and how close to 100 percent on the return was this deal?’ We felt it was really close and, therefore, it wasn’t worth the risk," said Jazz General Manager Kevin O’Connor.
O’Connor appeared on KFAN in Salt Lake City with Scott Garrard to discuss the trade, in which the Nets sent point guard Devin Harris and power forward Derrick Favors, the third overall pick in the 2010 draft, to Utah. Sports Radio Interviews has the full transcript.
“He’s [Favors] a big, raw, young player. … But what we look at is physicality, athleticism and size. Those three things he’s got and those three things are difficult to come by. … We got a young one and let’s see how he develops. … Those steps that he’s got to take and they’re going to be baby steps because he’s not ready yet," O’Connor said. "But what we did get was Devin Harris who’s a good point guard, an upper-tier point guard, who certainly helped Dallas win a lot of games and then got caught up in a rebuilding process.”