The status of negotiations on a Deron Williams buyout are not known, not how much he would want, not where he would go afterwards, not when. There is a deadline. Teams wanting to stretch a player must make a decision by August 31.
Still, Mike Mazzeo picks up where his colleague Marc Stein let off and tries to give fans a sense of how this might all work. It's not uncomplicated but presents opportunities this year ... and next.
Williams is currently owed $43 million over the next two seasons. Let's say a typical NBA buyout is 70 percent of a player’s contract.