How quickly things have changed for the Utah Jazz-in just two weeks longtime coach Jerry Sloan abruptly quit and now the team has traded their franchise player. On Wednesday, Utah sent All Star point guard Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for guard Devin Harris, forward Derrick Favors, a pair of first round draft picks and cash. The Nets had been hoping to acquire Denver\’s Carmelo Anthony, but Williams-arguably the best point guard in the NBA-is a very good \’consolation prize\’.

Meanwhile the logic behind the deal makes common sense for Utah, the timing is somewhat strange. Williams will be a free representative after next period and he\’s already started playing the familiar \’I want to play in a big market\’ card. Instead of running the risk that they might lose him then without recompense they moved him at the height of his \’market value\’ and made out like bandits in the deal. What\’s strange, but, is that an ongoing feud with former coach Jerry Sloan was reportedly the last straw in his result to leave his post in his 23rd season. If the Jazz were going to move Williams why not do it *before* Sloan left in hopes they could persuade him to at least stick around until the end of the season?

Williams goes on to dismiss assertions that he\’s responsible for running Sloan out of Utah:

\”Possibly arguing was the last straw, so there I am, guilty of that. But I think anybody who considers I could force Coach Sloan to resign is crazy. He\’s stronger than that and personally if I tell that to him, he\’d possibly go tell me to go do something.\”

Sloan, meanwhile, took the high street when reached for a comment on the Williams-to-New Jersey deal:

\”I have no response to what the Jazz are doing. We wish him well. We wish the Jazz well. Good luck to Deron.\”

In characteristic Sloan fashion he ended the chat saying that he had to \”go rake some leaves right now.\”

Sloan\’s replacement, Ty Corbin, had more to speak on the matter:

\”My initial reaction is that I\’m going to miss Deron. He was a good player for us. I\’ve been with him his entire time in the NBA as an assistant coach and now as a head coach for a few games, and we\’re going to miss him. I wish him well as he moves forward, and we\’ll have to work our way through it.\”

The Jazz picked up a solid point guard in Devin Harris who is waited for to move instantly into the begging lineup in front of Ronnie Brewer and Earl Watson. Derek Favors will likely back up Paul Millsap at power forward-he\’s a highly sought after prospect who left Georgia Tech behind one period. He\’s still \’raw\’ but at 6\’10\” 246 pounds and just 19 years old he\’s got tremendous upside potential. Throw in at least one unprotected first round pick from a team that\’s likely lottery bound and the Jazz made a good move. Utah is still winless under Ty Corbin, losing to Dallas without Williams and failing to cover beside the NBA betting line on Wednesday night.