Locke said during an interview on KFAN that the chances that Deron would stay as a Jazz man after his contract is up is 20% at most.
Deron wants to win, we get it. He should know that with this new team and a bigger role for him both on and off the floor, he should be patient and be helpful to coaching staff, support them instead of criticising the system, calling out for change, pointing fingers at others instead of trying to figure things out in the locker room and bringing in solutions instead of complaining all the time. One thing I know for sure is DWill failed to stand against the pressure of being under the spotlights every night and to be the leader of the team. He wants to win the title and I have always admired his competitive spirit and passion, aggressive nature. However, I would be kidding if I told that he was more competitive and dedicated than coach Sloan, by the way.
Some here argue that Deron would probably have stayed after his contract is up. BS. As I said before, the only person who could stop the flow of the rumors, trade ideas that Deron was sicked of hearing was Deron Williams. He did not give any indication of staying, being loyal to the Jazz after that 3 year extension he signed with the Jazz. He did not say "I'm leaving the Jazz after next season", either. Also, I see some reports claiming that Deron had already been pissed off because of Jazz' not keeping Matthews, Korver and Brewer. Well, one of the biggest reasons why Utah matched the contract Portland signed with Millsap was Deron, his faith in Paul. The Jazz brought Jefferson in after losing the focal point of the Jazz offense, to keep Deron "happy". Memo's contract was extended only by 2 years when Deron's contract will expire. I just cannot blame the management for Deron's trade.
Deron wants to win. OK. I believe that, If he had faith in this team and had guts to do the heavy-lifting and had patience and trust in the system and were "happy" with what he got (by "happy" I do not mean being complacent and indifferent) he would not be "unhappy" now. Sources close to Deron are told to be "surprised" but they are reportedly know that Deron was going to leave the Jazz. Some people say "the Jazz were not going to contend for title anyway", BS. This team has a big upside and has underachieved. The Jazz are undergoing a serious and painful transition process and one of the biggest reasons why the process has been painful is Deron's "complaints" and failure to act like a "leader" on the floor. It was not guaranteed that the Jazz all of a sudden become a title contender after the addition of BigAl, Raja etc. If Deron thought so, then he is stupid.
I think it's not like the Jazz showed no signs of being potential threats to win the title in up and coming seasons (nobody can underestimate the bad effect of having so many new pieces and injuries in a well-structured offense), it is Deron who had doubts about the future of franchise, (of course supposing that his will and desire to "win" to "contend" was the most important factor for him to stay in Utah, as he had told.)
I read that Deron learned the trade from ESPN. That's not good in KOC's part. Execution seems to be off. However, I like the fact that ESPN's so-called "experts" could not create unfounded speculations to earn their paychecks. Now, let the Sissy Paul and Dwight dramas begin.
From now on, The Jazz are in a rebuilding mode for the next 3-4 years. They should know that the system that Sloan had run is good enough for them to get 40+ wins as long as they stick with it and believe in it.
