The exact cap number for that season won't be known until next summer, however, leaving the exact amount of Williams' salary still to be determined.

Williams could have signed a full five-year extension worth about $90 million, which the Jazz were hoping he would have done. By taking the shorter deal, though, the University of Illinois product makes himself eligible for a new six-year contract in 2012 that could be worth 30 percent of the cap and well in excess of $100 million.

It also does not tie Williams too long term to a team with questions of uncertainty in summers to come, including the possibility of both All-Star power forward Carlos Boozer and starting center Mehmet Okur opting out of their current contracts in the 2009 offseason. Moreover, it remains to be seen how long 20-season head coach Jerry Sloan will continue to work and how the health of ailing owner Larry H. Miller impacts the franchise.

Miller has been hospitalized for more than five weeks due to complications from type 2 diabetes and on Wednesday promoted his 42-year-old son, Greg Miller, to chief executive officer of his business empire, but was kept up to date on the status of negotiations with Williams' camp throughout the month.

For now, though, Williams is focused on the immediate future.

"We really do think the best is yet to come for the team and Deron," McClaren said of the club, which Williams helped lead to the NBA Western Conference finals in 2007 and to the conference semifinals earlier this year. "It should be fun for the next several years."

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com;

jody@desnews.com