The Nets have done their best to move on from Deron Williams. They’ve said all the right things about him, wishing the former face of the franchise well and proclaiming everyone will be better off with a fresh start.
But make no mistake: As the Nets began the 2015-16 season Monday with Media Day at the team’s practice facility, Williams was the dominant presence in the room — even while he was kicking off the newest chapter of his career in Dallas, over 1,000 miles away from East Rutherford, N.J.
Every second or third question to every key returning figure seemed to be about either specific reactions to Williams being bought out of the final two seasons of his contract in July, or broader questions about how the team will try to replace him.