The New Jersey Nets have signed 24-year old guard Sundiata Gaines to a 10-day contract. Gaines has played in 14 games (0 starts) for the T-Wolves & Raptors earlier this year and he is averaging 11.0 minutes, 4.0 points, 1.0 rebound and 1.2 assists per game. He has now played in 46 games (0 starts) in his first two years in the NBA and he is averaging 8.1 minutes, 3.5 points, 0.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. Gaines will back up Deron Williams until Jordan Farmar is ready to return to action.

The New Jersey Nets have acquired 26-year old point guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz for 27-year old point guard Devin Harris, 19-year old power forward Derrick Favors, 2 first round picks and cash considerations. Deron Williams wore out his welcome in Utah as he was one of the main reasons that Jerry Sloan hung up his whistle in Salt Lake City. He will try to rehab his image while improving the New Jersey Nets the rest of the year. Williams played in 53 games (all starts) for the Jazz this season and he averaged 37.9 minutes, 21.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 9.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He has now played in 439 games (406 starts) in his first six years in the NBA and he is averaging 35.6 minutes, 17.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 9.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game. The Nets expect Williams to improve the offense and hopefully they can convince him to stick around for a few years.

Devin Harris played in 54 games (all starts) for the Nets this season and he averaged 31.9 minutes, 15.0 points, 2.4 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game. He should do well in Utah, but he’s nowhere near the player that Deron Williams is. Rookie Derrick Favors played in 56 games (23 starts) for the Nets this season and he averaged 19.5 minutes, 6.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. Nets’ head coach Avery Johnson seems to think that Favors was going to take a while before he turned into a good player. He is now the Utah Jazz’ problem.

I absolutely love this deal for the Nets as they have finally landed a superstar after getting shut out for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer and Carmelo Anthony. Now it’s up to the Nets to convince Williams to stick around for the long haul.

The New Jersey Nets have dealt 30-year old power forward Troy Murphy and a 2nd round pick in 2012 to the Golden State Warriors for 33-year old center Dan Gadzuric and 23-year old forward Brandan Wright. Murphy played in 18 games (4 starts) for the Nets this season and he averaged 16.0 minutes, 3.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. He only shot 34.2% from the floor, 17.4% from three point range and 52.9% from the free throw line for the Nets, which was pathetic. Dan Gadzuric played in 28 games (4 starts) for the Warriors this season and he averaged 10.6 minutes, 2.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. He has now played in 511 games (158 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 14.9 minutes, 4.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. The Nets might decide to buy out Gadzuric before he even gets into a game for them. Brandan Wright was the prize of this deal for the Nets as he is a former first round pick. Wright played in 21 games (1 start) for the Warriors this season and he averaged 9.3 minutes, 4.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.2 assists per game. In this first three years in the NBA, Wright has played in 98 games (30 starts) in which he has averaged 12.8 minutes, 5.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. Wright has a nice upside and the Nets will give him the P.T. he needs to try to prove himself at the NBA level.

The Nets have sent 30-year old power forward Troy Murphy home until they can deal him. Murphy played in 18 games (4 starts) for the Nets this season and he averaged 16.0 minutes, 3.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. Murphy has been a solid shooter most of his NBA career but this year he is awful only hitting 34.2% of his shots from the floor and 17.4% from the three point line. Murphy has been a huge disappointment as he was supposed to give the Nets a great inside game combining with Brook Lopez. That just never happened.

The Nets have traded 23-year old SF/SG Terrence Williams to the Rockets and 35-year old forward Joe Smith to the Lakers.  The Nets get 26-year old shooting guard Sasha Vujacic from the Lakers along with a 2011 first round draft pick and they get a 2012 first round pick from the Rockets.  That gives the Nets five first round picks in the next two NBA Drafts!  Could they be sweetening the pot for the Nuggets concerning Carmelo Anthony?  Maybe.  Regardless, I like this deal for the Nets as Williams was never going to get along with Avery Johnson anyway.  Williams was the 11th overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft out of Louisville.  He played in 10 games (0 starts) for the Nets this year and he averaged 20.6 minutes, 6.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.  Williams played in 88 games (9 starts) in his two years with the Nets and he averaged 22.4 minutes, 8.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.  Joe Smith was sitting pretty much at the end of the bench for the Nets.  He played in 4 games (3 starts) for the Nets this year and he was averaging 6.3 minutes, 0.5 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.

Sasha Vujacic played in 11 games (0 starts) for the Lakers this year and he was averaging 4.9 minutes, 1.8 points, 0.4 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game.  He has played in 420 games (12 starts) in his first seven years in the NBA and he is averaging 14.3 minutes, 4.8 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.  He has the reputation of being a good shooter even though the numbers don’t bear that out.  He is shooting 39.3% from the floor, 37.2% from the three point line and 87.6% from the free throw line in his career.  Vujacic will get a lot more P.T. with the Nets than he was getting with the Lakers.