Deron Williams, once an All-Pro caliber point guard, has been a solid starter for the Dallas Mavericks for the last couple years, averaging 14.8 points and 5.8 assists during the 2016-2017 campaign, helping Dirk Nowitzki lead an injury-plagued Mavs team to the playoffs, where they were ousted by the Thunder in 5 games.
Unfortunately for Dallas, Williams has decided today that he’ll be taking his act elsewhere. ESPN is reporting that the Univ. of Illinois alum has plans to opt out of his Mavericks contract, and becoming a free agent, despite expressing his will to remain a Mav during his exit interviews.
I would love to be back. This was a great year for me. My family is settled and happy here, so it’d definitely be great to be back.
Williams is seeking a multi-year contract–likely the last such contract of his career, which has spanned 12 seasons to this point–and judging by his play this season and during the playoffs, a team looking for veteran leadership at the point guard position would be lucky to have him. Williams will join Mike Conley, Rajon Rondo and Jeremy Lin as the high profile point guards of this free agency class.
