Utah Jazz Trades: Ranking Two Decades of Deadline Deals
By Ryan Aston
3) D-Will is Sent Packing; February 23, 2011
The Jazz send Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets for Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, two first round draft picks and cash.
The decision to deal their disgruntled franchise guard was perhaps the most transformative move made by the Jazz since the drafting of Karl Malone and John Stockton in the Mid-80s. After enjoying a half-decade of success with Williams and Carlos Boozer leading the charge, Utah saw the writing on the wall and looked to reboot.
Wanting to avoid the kind of circus brought on by the ‘Melo Drama in Denver and the Dwightmare in Orlando, Kevin O’Connor made the bold move to send D-Will to the Nets and made a killing on the return. It was a proactive measure to get the best return possible for their All-Star.
While I don’t know that Williams would’ve held the Jazz hostage as some would say that Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard did with their respective teams–and I still contend that Williams may have re-signed–the acquisition of Derrick Favors alone made this one a win.
Favors may been dealing with knee issues now, but he gave the Jazz some really good years. Moreover, Williams began to break down physically almost immediately after getting moved.
The team also got Devin Harris (who helped the Jazz get to the playoffs in 2012) and a high lottery pick. They ultimately wasted said pick on Kanter, but that’s still good compensation for a player the franchise expected to leave anyway.
Next: Jazz Take It to a Higher Level