ESPN.com’s Marc Stein and Chad Ford are reporting that following the disappointment of failing to land now-Knick Carmelo Anthony in a trade this past week, the Nets have re-inserted their hat into the blockbuster trade ring. Sources said Wednesday that New Jersey and the Jazz are nearing completion of a deal that would send Devin Harris and rookie third overall pick Derrick Favors to Utah for All-Star point guard Deron Williams. The deal, expected to be completed later Wednesday after a call with the league office, would also involve the Warriors and multiple draft picks being sent to the Jazz.
New Jersey is 17-40, but trails the Pacers by just 6.5 games for the 8th seed in the East. Harris’ tenure with the Nets has been disappointing, even since his reunion with head coach Avery Johnson whom Harris enjoyed a lot of success with in Dallas. Favors is just 19 years old, but has not shown a lot of promise that he will justify his lofty draft status, particularly on the offensive end. The addition of a player like Williams would not only raise the franchise’s profile significantly, it would re-energize the team’s role players like Anthony Morrow, Kris Humphries, and Sasha Vujacic, while doing wonders to raise the game of third-year center Brook Lopez. With the team scheduled to move to Brooklyn the year after next, this trade, if completed, would put the franchise in prime position to attract top-tier free agents in the years to come.