Yahoo! Columnist Adrian Wojnarowski, famous for choosing the Mavs to get swept in every round last year, is now telling us that Deron Wililams will not be satisfied with Anthony Davis, if the Nets get the #1 pick, but will require them to trade the pick for Dwight Howard to have any hope of keeping him.
Should you believe Adrian Wojnarowski?
Well...that depends.
First: The hardest thing to do as a basketball fan is to reject unsubstantiated rumors both when they are unfavorable to one's hopes AND when they are favorable. We have to, though.If Deron Williams were talking, you'd have heard the quote. As it is, you've heard an unnamed source. It's not real. And even if it were real, Deron Williams hasn't signed any pieces of paper saying so, and could certainly change his mind because, again, nothing can happen for a while.
THAT BEING SAID. The information the unnammed source has is reasonable enough. As good as Anthony Davis will probably be--the next Kevin Garnett or whatever--there is little doubt Deron Williams wants to wait the few years it will take to get him ready to be an all-star. Even the original Kevin Garnett only averaged 10 and 6 his first year.
Things change fast in the NBA. Yes, the Magic fired Stan Van Gundy, and let their GM go, to try to keep Dwight, which points to them NOT trading him. But given all the trouble he's caused them this last year, it is not exactly unlikely that they are right now listening to offers even so, and it's hard to believe there is a better one out there than Brook Lopez, also one of the better centers in the game, and the #1 pick.
So you know the drill. The draft lottery is tonight. If the Nets traded their first round pick to Portland, for Gerald Wallace, but it is top three protected--in other words, if the Nets DON'T get a top three pick, they don't even have a pick in the first round. That is devoutly to be wished.
The Nets have the sixth worst record in the league, and the sixth most ping pong balls. It's not clear what effect the Nets having the #2 or #3 pick---thus no Anthony Davis--will have on the situation.
In short: Of course if the Nets get the #1 pick they're going to try to trade it for Dwight Howard. Of course, Deron would rather play with Dwight than with Anthony Davis and if the Nets don't get a top three pick, the odds that Deron will not want to stay with the Nets go considerably up--but this rumor, like all rumors you will hear till the start of free agency, isn't worth much.