LAS VEGAS — Deron Williams said he was a lot closer to becoming a Maverick than anyone thought. And he would have taken Jason Kidd with him. The Nets and Knicks are lucky to have the point guards performing in the five boroughs. Thank you, Joe Johnson.
In a startling revelation, Williams said after the U.S. Olympic Team’s first day of training camp the Mavericks were his choice until Nets general manager Billy King pulled off the Joe Johnson heist in the opening days of free agency.
“I was really close to going to Dallas,’’ Williams said Friday in his first remarks since agreeing to terms with Brooklyn on Tuesday. “I actually thought that’s where I was going to go. Then I had the meetings [with Dallas and Nets] and changed my mind. After I got out of the meeting with Dallas, saw the team they were going to have and putting out there and we just made the trade for Joe Johnson, I felt that team [the Nets] for a longer time would be the better team.’’
“I still flip-flopped a couple of times,’’ Williams added.
So without the Johnson trade, Williams and Kidd likely were headed to Big D and King would have been the Big Dunce of Brooklyn. Instead, he’s looking like a genius, especially if Dwight Howard is added as the Nets’ final piece.
“Joey, I never played with anyone like him,’’ Williams gushed. “A guy on the wing that can get his own shot, but also get me involved and is a great defender. We can be one of the top backcourts in the NBA.’’
The Nets were able to pay Williams $25 million more than his hometown Mavericks under CBA rules, giving him a $100 million package. But Williams said he wasn’t swayed by the extra money, saying the lure of his birthplace was strong.
“It was a hard decision,’’ Williams said. “It was my hometown team I grew up watching that I would have loved to play for. My family would have loved for me to play. I kind of felt I let the city down because they wanted me there so bad.
“It was a really tough decision. Ultimately, it came down to where I felt I had a better chance to win for a long period of time.’’
Williams said he never misled the Nets into thinking Brooklyn was the favorite.
“I didn’t give them any indication I was going to re-sign there,’’ Williams said. “I always told them I wanted to be a free agent and explore my options. Instead of having a situation like Dwight and Carmelo and Chris Paul, he got assets for me, got some good players. We got some assets for me. [King] is a good GM and did a great job.’’
Asked about the Nets’ chase of Howard, Williams said, “I’m just worried about winning a gold medal. It’s all rumors and hearsay.’’
Though he referred to Brooklyn as a city and not a borough, Williams will have five years to learn the NYC geography after spending a year-and-a-half with the Newark-based franchise.
“I’m excited,’’ Williams said. “I felt like the buzz in Brooklyn is big. The arena’s going to be amazing. It’s going to be an exciting time, and we have a pretty good team this year and a chance to become better.
“I think a lot of our guys are underrated. Brook Lopez has been hurt, been on bad teams and is undervalued. I think Gerald Wallace, people say he’s old, but he’s only 30 years old. Same with Joe. I think it’s going to be a rejuvenation for all of us.
“It’s going to be special. The arena is going to be special. The city of Brooklyn has wanted a franchise there and they have one now and New York is a basketball city.’’
Williams made good on his promise that he would make his free-agent decision quickly.
“I wanted to get it over so people stopped talking about it and that way everyone else can worry about their free agency, too,’’ Williams said. “I guess a lot of people had to wait for me to make a move for them to do something. I wanted to get it out of the way as soon as possible.’’