Fighting Illini Alumni Update: Deron Williams Traded to Nets

In a shocking move Wednesday, the Utah Jazz have traded two-time NBA All-Star and fellow Illini alum to the New Jersey Nets.  In return, they will receive Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, $3 million, and most importantly 2 first round draft picks.  This move tends to shock me amid the rumors that management "forced out" legendary coach Jerry Sloan to appease DWill in the hopes that they keep him long term.  So why would they trade him away less than a month later?  Even Deron's biggest "rival" thinks it was a bad idea for the Jazz to trade him away.

In this blogger's opinion, it's because of recent news that Deron said he would go to the Knicks when he is a free agent in 2012.  The Jazz traded him away for young talent and draft picks to get compensated for a free agent they would have lost in a season and a half anyways.  We see this move in baseball all the time, when small market teams trade a star player in the final year of their contract they produced to the Yankees/Red Sox/Cubs in return for prospect for building for the future.  I must say I'm surprised to see this in the NBA, especially now when the 2011 draft class is perceived as weak (good news for our very own Demtri McCamey).  I also see Nets owner Nikhail Prokhorov as the NBA's version of the late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.  Exceedingly wealthy, and will do anything, and buy anything, to help his team win.  Only thing is, he has that pesky salary cap to worry about, which the Yankees do not.  Do the Nets think they can get Deron to sign an extention?  That is yet to be seen.  But as far as I know, that was not a part of this deal, as it was for the Knicks' Carmelo Anthony deal.  This was a good consolation prize for the Nets, who fell second in the Carmelo sweepstakes to the aforementioned Knicks, but if they want to be competitive in the future, they will need to work hard on securing the future of the guy they literally traded away their future for.  Until then, Deron can enjoy living in New Jersey, WHICH IS NOT NEW YORK!  Best of luck, Deron Williams!