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SALT LAKE CITY -- After denying early reports that Deron Williams was planning on playing for the New York Knicks for the 2012-13 season, it has been confirmed that the New Jersey Nets have finalized a deal with the Jazz to send the All-Star point guard to the Nets in a multi-player package.
After losing out to Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks, the Nets agreed to a three team trade, sending point guard Devin Harris, rookie Derrick Favors, and two draft picks to the Jazz, with Golden State receiving Troy Murphy in exchange for Dan Gadzuric.
Trade stats
| Age | Points | |
|---|---|---|
| <a href="http://ksl.sportsdirectinc.com/basketball/nba-players.aspx?page=/data/nba/players/player648422.html" target="_blank">Deron Williams</a> | 26 | 21.3 |
| <a href="http://ksl.sportsdirectinc.com/basketball/nba-players.aspx?page=/data/nba/players/player668700.html" target="_blank">Devin Harris</a> | 27 | 15 |
| <a href="http://ksl.sportsdirectinc.com/basketball/nba-players.aspx?page=/data/nba/players/player743727.html" target="_blank">Derrick Favors</a> | 19 | 6.3 |
"We feel that we've addressed a current need at point guard with Deron's departure, as well as the future with draft picks and a big man," Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor announced. "To do so we had to give up an All-Star, but we feel like this is a win for both sides."
Favors, a rookie out of Georgia Tech, averaged 6 points and 5 rebounds in 56 games this season with the Nets, while Harris averaged 15 points and 8 assists.
Harris was an all-star reserve in 2009 when he averaged 21 points and seven assists. Harris played collegiately at Wisconsin. He was drafted fifth overall by the Washington Wizards in 2004 and was promptly traded to the Dallas Mavericks.
He spent four years in Dallas before being traded to New Jersey in 2008.
Favors was the third overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft after just one season with Georgia Tech in which he averaged 12.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks.
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Favors was named ACC Rookie of the Year and to the ACC All-Freshman Team in 2010.
Williams was averaging 21.3 points and 9.7 assists per game with the Jazz this season. In his six seasons with Utah Williams averaged 17.3 points and 9.1 assists.
The Jazz have also secured a 2011 draft pick from the Nets and the Warriors 2012 pick, which is protected 1-7. If the Jazz don't make the playoffs this year, they will have two lottery picks in the upcoming draft.
This multi-team deal comes one day after Carmelo Anthony was traded from Denver to the New York Knicks in a three-team deal.
It also comes two weeks after Williams was linked with the departure of Hall of Fame coach Jerry Sloan, who resigned abruptly in his 23rd season as Jazz coach a day after getting into a heated argument with the team captain.
Related:
Jazz "shocked" by Williams trade
The Jazz react to the news that their leader and all-star point guard Deron Williams was traded to the new Jersey Nets.Williams admitted to arguing with Sloan on occasion, but denied that he was the impetus in Sloan's resignation.
Many believed that Williams would opt out of his contract following this season, leaving the Jazz with little to recover from. It is likely that Kevin O'Connor looked at the new player-driven environment of the NBA and wanted to ensure that the Jazz could get something out of a possible Williams departure.
Williams was expected to be one of the headliners of the 2012 free agent class along with 2008 Olympic teammates Dwight Howard and Chris Paul, and the small-market Jazz could have faced losing him for nothing.
The Nets now hope Williams will sign a contract extension with them, which they can offer this summer. If so, he would become the face of their franchise when they move into their new arena in Brooklyn for the 2012-13 season.
Jeremiah Jensen via Twitter: While you process the shock of the Deron Williams trade here is a look at what is coming in return
New Jersey has been desperate to make its first score under new Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov. The Nets talked with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh last summer and when that failed they turned their attention to Anthony. They quickly bounced back from the disappointment of missing out on him with Williams.
"Utah traded DWill??" fellow point guard Chris Paul wrote on his Twitter page, adding hashtags with "EpicFail" and "notagoodlook."
Williams has already left the team and will not be with the Jazz as they visit the Dallas Mavericks tonight.
Story written by Graydon Johns with contributions from Josh Furlong, Robert Jackson and the Associated Press.
