Nets’ Williams Was Swayed to Stay by Johnson Trade

In reality, though, Williams knew he was not picking from a pool of 30 N.B.A. teams. Dallas or Brooklyn? Hometown team or team moving to the bright lights? On Tuesday, through his Twitter account, Williams announced he was staying with the Nets.

On Friday, Williams was at the United States national team’s first practice leading up to the Olympics. And it was here, after a few days to reflect, that Williams described his thought process in deciding between the two teams.

The surprise, Williams said, was that there was little fun in being a free agent. He also admitted something else: for quite some time, he thought he was going to leave the Nets for the Mavericks.

“I just went where I was most comfortable,” he said. “I was really close to Dallas, and I thought that’s where I wanted to go.”

Before meeting with both teams, Williams expected to play alongside Dirk Nowitzki, who led the Mavericks to their first N.B.A. title 13 months ago. But Williams said that once he saw the plan that Mark Cuban, the Mavericks’ flashy owner, had put together for the team’s future, he became unsure of his decision.

Jason Kidd, who is planning to leave the Mavericks to join the Knicks, told ESPN Radio on Friday, “I think when he saw the roster, I think he felt if Dirk went down, it would be a long season.”

Soon after his meeting with the Mavericks, Williams — along with Nets fans — noticed the bold move that Nets General Manager Billy King made by trading for Joe Johnson, the six-time All-Star from Atlanta.

The move was persuasive enough to get Williams back in the Nets’ fold. He will sign a five-year, $100 million contract with the team once the N.B.A.’s moratorium on signings is lifted on Wednesday.

“Joe got me over the hump,” Williams said of the trade. “I never played with a guy like him who can get his own shot while getting me involved. I think we can be one of the top backcourts in the N.B.A.”

Williams added, “I just felt like that team over a longer time would be the better team.”

He said he did not know if he would have signed with the Nets if they had not acquired Johnson.

“I never told them to make the deal,” Williams said. “I think Billy felt like if they lost out on me, they were going to need someone regardless.”

Since the trade for Johnson, Williams has also appreciated the Nets’ other aggressive moves.

The team reached a deal to acquire Reggie Evans, who will provide rebounding and defense, and it will re-sign Gerald Wallace. Mirza Teletovic, one of the top scorers in Europe, will sign a three-year deal under the midlevel exception.

The Nets also plan to re-sign Brook Lopez, who Williams said was undervalued because of his injuries, and Kris Humphries.

All of the Nets’ secondary moves came after Williams’s six-word announcement on Twitter that he was remaining a Net. But while he smiled throughout Friday’s practice, Williams said it was painful to turn down the offer from the Mavericks, a team he watched growing up and one he dreamed of playing for.

“I felt I let the city down because they wanted me there so bad,” he said. “It was a really tough decision.”

Even if he disappointed Dallas, his decision lifted Brooklyn. Williams knows he will be the main attraction there, and the Nets have reportedly sold more than 500 season tickets since Tuesday. Williams’s picture will be displayed in many portions of the new Barclays Center.

“That’s one of the reasons why I stayed,” Williams said of being the Nets’ franchise player. “I feel the buzz in Brooklyn is big, and the arena is going to be amazing.”

He expressed confidence that the Nets were ready to play a major role — not just in Brooklyn, but in the Eastern Conference.

“It’s going to be an exciting time,” he said. “I think this will be a rejuvenation for all of us.”

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