D-Will Endorsements Total $2 Million

In its annual listing of the world's highest paid athletes, Forbes puts Deron Williams at #84, at $18.2 million. Of that total, an estimated $2 million came from endorsements, the financial magazine reports.

Williams has agreed to endorse several national and local brands since joining the Nets, including Metro PCS, Audi and Red Bull. In March, his agent Jeff Schwartz told Ken Berger, "Being in a larger market, there's always more opportunities, and coupled with the fact that the Nets are moving to Brooklyn, there's going to be a lot of corporate interest in both the team and its star players." The $2 million figure is four times what Detroit pitcher Justin Verlander earned last year, but only one-third of what L.A.'s Chris Paul received.

Forbes notes that Williams numbers include money he received from Besiktas, the Turkish team he played for during the lockout. Of his future, Forbes writes without attribution, "The New Jersey Nets can offer him the most money under the NBA’s salary cap rules, but Williams might take less to join a winning team."

• The World's 100 Highest-Paid Athletes - #84 Deron Williams - Forbes
• Are Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki among the NBA's most overpaid players? - Dan Bukzpan - Yahoo! Sports