Pacers trade forward Shawne Williams to Mavs

Last February, a murder suspect in Tennessee was arrested shortly after leaving Williams' suburban Indianapolis home, then in July, police arrested a passenger in Williams' car for marijuana possession. Williams was not arrested but was written up for window tint and seat belt violations.

"I think the Carmel police were kind of like following him around constantly, almost harassing him," Walters said. "So I think it (the trade) is an opportunity for him to get away from that type of thing as well, because I think he was being unduly singled out a little bit."

Bird, the Pacers' president, said publicly after the most recent incident that Williams' career with the team was in jeopardy.

Earlier this week, Williams said the publicity surrounding his run-ins with the law painted a false picture of him.

"People that know me know that I'm a good person," he told The Associated Press. "Hopefully, the people that don't know me get to know me and know that I'm a good person."

He said he also hoped to rehabilitate his image.

Williams, who played only one season at Memphis, has made steady progress as a pro, Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said.

"I think he's maturing as a basketball player," O'Brien said before the trade. "I don't think there's anything from a basketball standpoint that displeases me."

But the off-the-court problems trumped his talent.

"We're just trying to do the things that we have to to get a basketball team that sticks together," Bird said. "It's unfortunate that we've had some incidents that have really brought the whole team down, and put a bad light on our team and our community. Hopefully, we're moving in the right direction."

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AP Sports Writer Cliff Brunt in Fort Wayne, Ind. contributed to this report.