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LEHI -- Deron Williams held his annual charity golf tournament at Thanksgiving Point on Saturday and talked about recent changes to the Utah Jazz.
When the Jazz were swept out of the playoffs, Williams was very outspoken about the team's need to add a couple of pieces to the roster if it wanted to compete for a title. Instead of adding pieces, the team has lost Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver, and now faces the possibility of losing Wesley Matthews.
Williams had a good sense of humor at his charity golf tournament. When asked about the busy week for the Utah Jazz he joked "Well, it hasn't been a really busy week for us. It's been a real busy week for some of our former teammates."
He also made a humorous reference to the Miami Heat signing superstars LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.
"I just found out," he joked, "Miami is trying to acquire me right now."
Despite the laughs he admitted disappointment when asked about the departure of Boozer and Korver.
"It was tough to see Boozer and Kyle go, but they made business decisions. You have to live with them. Any time you lose two guys like that you'll be frustrated but it's a business and that's the way it went," he said.
Despite the loss, Deron still hopes the front office can improve the roster before the season begins this fall.
"Just be patient, that's all I can do," he says. "We lost two guys to free agency. It happens. Hopefully we'll have the chance to pick up some guys."
Even without significant roster moves, he still believes the team can be competitive with the talent it has now. But he doubts about contending for a title.
"We still have a solid team. Are we going to compete for a championship? That's tough to say, but we have a good team. We have some guys that I think can step up. I think Paul can come in and contribute. And I think it's a good opportunity for him to show people what you can do, given the minutes. We need some depths in the front court," he says.
As for the selection of Gordon Hayward with the ninth pick in the NBA draft, Deron says he is a fan and likes what he saw from the rookie in summer league.
"He seemed like a real smart player. He has a lot of tools, can do a lot of things. I think he'll be pretty solid in the offense because of how smart he is and how he comes off screens. He's got a lot of size to him," he says.
Deron says he didn't pay any attention to LeBron James' "decision" this week, but he was surprised that the Miami Heat landed three superstars.
Williams was also asked whether he would participate with USA Basketball this summer in the FIBA World Championships in Turkey. He is yet to make a commitment and when asked if he is leaning toward not playing he replied, "You could say that".
He mentioned health and the need to prepare for the next NBA season as the reasons why he may not participate.
"It's just a long commitment this summer," Williams said. "Right when you're getting back from that you've got to jump right into the season and it's tough.
"Especially," he added, "with the guys we lost — I'm going to have to do a lot more this season."
He says he plans to make a final decision in the next day or two.
Williams' Point of Hope Foundation Charity Golf Tournament raised $65,000 for Shriners Hospitals.
E-mail: jjensen@ksl.com
