We are just days from knowing where Brooklyn Nets free agent Deron Williams will play next season. While a handful of a teams could make a play for him financially, reports are the All Star will only consider the Nets and the Dallas Mavericks.
Former Nets and current Mavs guard (and free agent to be himself) Jason Kidd believes GM Billy King and owner Mikhail Prokhorov have every reason to feel confident they can hold onto Williams. Talking to ESPN's Ric Bucher, Kidd said the Nets "should" believe they have a great chance to win the D-Will sweepstakes.
Though Kidd isn't an "inside source", he does have more insight than most. Not only does he share an agent with Williams, but Kidd could end up backing him up wherever he does sign. If anyone outside the Williams camp could have a good read on the situation, it's the future Hall of Fame point guard.
If playing for your hometown crowd was such a draw, Kidd could go and sign with the Golden State Warriors, but he told Bucher about how that quickly becomes more of a distraction than anything else.
"At an early age, the phone just doesn't stop ringing and ticket requests don't stop coming," Kidd said.
Being a part of the Brooklyn Nets, both Williams and Kidd can just deal with the normal attention that comes with being an NBA star. No need to turn down countless requests from people you've known all of your life (or who feel they've known you) but instead just worry about basketball.
Maybe Williams wants the pressure of playing at home, but if you listen to Kidd, it could be one more reason the Nets are confident in keeping their superstar.