Brooklyn Nets

Would the Nets be smart to buy out Deron Williams?

Published Jul. 10, 2015 3:53 p.m. ET

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Deron Williams reportedly wants to go home to Dallas and the Nets might be able to work out a buyout to help him get there. Now, the question becomes, is that actually a good move for Brooklyn?

Devin Kharpertian tries to answer that at The Brooklyn Game:

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(H/t The Brooklyn Game.)

Photo Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

But a buyout seems odd as a standalone move. If the Nets aren’t going to pay Williams $43 million to not play, as David Aldridge reported, why would they pay him a significant portion of that — one speculated number is $30 million — to not play? If there was “zero chance” the Nets would stretch Deron Williams at a rate of $8.6 million per season, is $6 million per season that much more palatable?1

The luxury tax does matter to the Nets, and stretching a bought-out Williams would get them under with another small move or two. But they’re in no danger of hitting the repeater tax next season due to the rising cap, so the only financial hit would only be an issue this year.

Finding Williams a way out also requires a contingency plan, and it’s tough to say they have a workable solution at this point.

The Nets have spent the last few weeks stockpiling point guards. With Jarrett Jack already under contract, they then traded for Steve Blake on draft night in the deal that netted them Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Nets GM Billy King called Shane Larkin shortly after midnight on July 1 to recruit him to Brooklyn, and signed undrafted rookie Ryan Boatright inked a non-guaranteed, multi-year deal not much later.