Billy King’s best move as Nets general manager might have been getting Joe Johnson right before meeting with his own free agent, Deron Williams. It kept Williams in a Nets uniform.

He said he was leaning toward going to Dallas before the Nets acquired Johnson and his big contract from the Hawks. It was a $90-million calculated gamble that paid off for King and the Nets.

“I was really close to going to Dallas. I actually thought that’s where I was going to go,” Williams said after the U.S. Olympic team opened training camp Friday.

“Joe got me over the hump,” he said. “I’ve never played with anybody like him, a guy on the wing that can get his own shot and also get me involved and is a great defender. We could be one of the top backcourts in the NBA for sure.”

via Al Iannazzone of Newsday