Deron Williams has had unceremonious ends to his tenures with the Utah Jazz and Brooklyn Nets. Back in 2011, Utah shocked the NBA world when it traded Williams to the Nets for a package centered around then-rookie Derrick Favors. Williams then lashed out at the media for suggesting he had a role in Jerry Sloan and the Jazz parting ways, though owner Greg Miller eventually confirmed there was a clash. This summer, the Nets waived him.

Now, with Williams a member of the Dallas Mavericks, former Utah physician Lyle Mason told Salt City Hoops' Laura Thompson that the guard just didn't want to let Sloan coach him:

Deron, when he came, was a guy who was a very skilled player, and the coaches looked at him and Chris Paul—we could have taken either one—I think Jerry decided on Deron because of his size, strength, and his durability. They thought he might be just a little bit better than Chris, although they liked both players, and then when he started playing, he was an outstanding player. BUT, the personality conflict grew between him and the coach, and eventually it became impossible for the two of them to stay. When the coach quit, management still decided that it was best if he went somewhere else.

Deron was the opposite of Stockton: Deron could not handle the coach calling any plays. He wanted to call every play. I’ll never understand why that was such a big deal, that if the coach called one play, he was going to run another one, which he always did. And that was part of what really drove them apart, was that Deron just decided he didn’t need coaching, and Jerry obviously thought otherwise.

Deron, in my dealings with him was always very nice, very friendly, I still consider him a friend.

Ten years into Williams' career, this sort of thing isn't exactly a revelation. He has a reputation as a difficult personality -- most recently, the New York Daily News' Stefan Bondy reported that Williams "had to be physically restrained from going after" Brooklyn head coach Lionel Hollins during what was supposed to be a clear-the-air meeting around the All-Star break. And here's what Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix had to say about Williams' final season with the Nets:

Williams was a puzzle no one was able to solve. Paul Pierce tried, his efforts evolving from private dinners spent boosting Williams's confidence to public pastings in practice, according to league sources. Lionel Hollins attempted to get through to Williams; an NBA source confirmed a New York Daily News report that one such session resulted in Williams needing to be physically restrained from going after Hollins. To be fair, Hollins didn’t cover himself with glory, as his pep talk consisted of bluntly laying out all the reasons Williams had tumbled from the top of the point guard crop, according to sources familiar with the confrontation. The thin-skinned Williams couldn’t handle it.

Williams was an elite point guard a few years ago, and his fall from grace has been rather perplexing. As Mason noted in the interview, Williams' ankle and wrist problems have been a huge part of that. The Mavericks are hoping that he can stay healthy with them, and they're betting on head coach Rick Carlisle getting the most out of him. It's important that they get along.

Deron Williams, former Net. (USATSI)
Deron Williams, former Net. (USATSI)