Dreaming? Deron Williams linked to Suns once again
Originally published: Jun 20, 2012 - 9:08 am
A three-time All-Star, Williams has career averages of 17.6 points and 9.2 assists per game, and is regarded as one of the best point guards in the NBA.
And, with the Suns possibly losing Steve Nash in free agency and having a desire to get younger and more athletic anyway, there are some who think they could be in the mix for the younger Williams' services.
Of course, could is the operative word, because as ESPN's Chris Broussard points out, Williams' top choice is to remain with the Nets, while signing with his hometown Dallas Mavericks is next in line.
After that, though, he brings up the Suns, noting they are probably the "only other team with enough cap room to offer Williams a maximum contract that can get in the mix for him."
The weather and golf (Williams is a huge golf guy) is great, the offense is free-flowing (something Williams is definitely looking for) and with him, the team could be on the rise. While the Suns' first choice appears to be to re-sign Nash, the younger Williams is obviously a better option. I don't think the Suns could move ahead of Dallas on Williams' list, but they should not be completely discounted, either.
The good news is that he thinks the Suns should not be discounted, while the bad news is it appears the Suns really would prefer to re-sign the 38-year-old and declining Steve Nash over the 27-year-old and in his prime Williams.
Sure, Nash is still playing well and is the face of the franchise, but swapping him for Williams, who averaged 21 points and 8.7 assists per game last season, would help the Suns be competitive now and in the future.
So, the idea that they'd prefer to keep Nash rather than sign Williams, if given the choice, is a little puzzling. However, there is no guarantee Nash even wants to stick around, just like there's nothing saying Williams actually wants to head to Phoenix.
So they may not really have a choice between the two, anyway.
But for now, at least, there's a chance, and that's really about all the Suns could ask for.
- Tim Kempton, Suns' Analyst - Wednesday June 19Suns' Analyst Tim Kempton joins Doug and Wolf to talk about the NBA Finals game six and if the Spurs
- Jared Dudley, Suns forward - Tuesday June 18Jared Dudley joins Doug and Wolf to talk NBA Finals.
- Jared Dudley, Suns' Forward - Tuesday June 11JD gives us his player's perspective on the NBA Finals.
- Brian Windhorst, NBA ESPN.com Writer - Friday June 7Brian Windhorst talks about Game 1 of the NBA Finals and what to expect from the rest of the series.
- Suns GM Ryan McDonough - Friday June 7The Suns GM talks about prospects Ben McLemore of Kansas and Victor Oladipo of Indiana.



































