Unlike the New Orleans Hornets, who moved quickly to complete a contract extension with Chris Paul at the start of the free agent negotiating period in July, the Jazz have not been gripped by the same urgency with Deron Williams.
It has nothing to do with any lack of interest on the Jazz's part at ensuring Williams stays put in Utah for the foreseeable future. But with Williams vacationing in Mexico, the Jazz did not meet with the star guard and his representatives until July 9. Williams came out of the meeting with general manager Kevin O'Connor saying he believed they would agree to an extension in a matter of days. But Williams also expressed some concerns about the Jazz's future direction.
The Jazz have three players -- Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur and Kyle Korver -- who can opt out of their contracts next summer. There also is uncertainty as to whether Jerry Sloan will return for another season as coach.
"So it could be a whole different scenario in the next couple years," Williams said, "and I just want to make sure that things are going the right way because I'm about winning. I don't care about stats, I don't care about any of that. I care about winning."
Williams said the Jazz had talked about a maximum-value contract, but added that he had made no decisions about the length of the extension he wanted to sign. Paul agreed to a three-year deal with a fourth-year option, similar to what LeBron James and Dwyane Wade did in 2006.
Williams said he was still considering three-, four- and five-year extensions, while his advisors are weighing several factors, including whether the NBA's next collective bargaining agreement will be less free agent friendly than the current one.
