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| Deron Williams will remain with the Nets. (Getty Images) |
End the suspense.
Free agent point guard Deron Williams, the No. 1 free agent in the Class of 2012, has posted a message on Twitter indicating that he will re-sign with the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets were one of two finalists for his services, along with the Dallas Mavericks.
"Made a very tough decision today....," Williams tweeted, before linking to a picture of the Nets logo.
Minutes later, Yahoo Sports reported that Williams had agreed to a 5-year contract with the Nets worth $100 million. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com confirmed the terms, estimating the deal at $98.8 million. The Mavericks could only offer a 4-year deal.
Williams, 28, held meetings with both teams this week.
2011-12 was Williams' first full season with the Nets after being traded by the Utah Jazz at the 2011 trade deadline. Williams averaged 21.0 points, 8.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 26.3 minutes per game, making his third consecutive All-Star game.
The Nets, who failed to make the playoffs and traded their first-round pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, will play the 2012-13 season at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn after moving from New Jersey. Brooklyn has set up a number of moves to transform their roster this week, including agreeing to re-sign Gerald Wallace, agreeing to trade for Joe Johnson, agreeing to sign-and-trade for Reggie Evans and agreeing to sign Mirza Teletovic.
The NBA's free agency period opens on July 1 with a 10-day moratorium in place that prevents contracts from officially being signed until July 11.
