All-Star point guard Deron Williams says he’s staying with Nets

Deron Williams is staying with the Nets.

The All-Star point guard said on his Twitter page Tuesday night that he “made a very tough decision today” and posted a picture of the new team logo that accompanies the Nets’ move from New Jersey to Brooklyn.

A person with knowledge of the decision said Williams told the team he was accepting their five-year contract worth $98 million.

Williams, the top free agent available, chose to stay with the Nets over signing with his hometown team, the Dallas Mavericks.

It’s a huge triumph for the Nets as they prepare to move into the new Barclays Center to start the 2012-13 season. They gave up an enormous package to get Williams in a surprising February 2011 trade, sending promising forward Derrick Favors, point guard Devin Harris, two first-round draft picks and cash to the Utah Jazz.

But it was worth it for the Nets, who needed a franchise player with them to build buzz for their move to New York.

Williams wanted to make a quick decision before he reports to training camp in Las Vegas with the U.S. men’s basketball team on Thursday. He met with both teams Monday, the day after free agency opened, and made his Twitter posting at about 4 p.m. PDT.

The person confirmed the agreement on condition of anonymity because contracts can’t be signed until July 11.

Williams’ decision comes a day after the Nets agreed to a deal with Atlanta for All-Star guard Joe Johnson, and amid reports they are still hoping to make a deal with Orlando for Dwight Howard.

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New York Knicks guard Landry Fields agreed to sign an offer sheet with the Toronto Raptors for a reported $20 million over three seasons. Since Fields is a restricted free agent, the Knicks will have three days to match the offer after it can be signed on July 11.

ETC.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell rejected the appeals of four players suspended in connection with the league’s bounty investigation of the New Orleans Saints.

Goodell told Jonathan Vilma, Anthony Hargrove, Will Smith and Scott Fujita that each of them is still welcome to meet with him to give their side of the story, and that he reserves the right to reduce the suspensions should new information be brought forth.

Instead, the players intend to fight Goodell’s rulings through the federal court system. The players have declined to meet with Goodell because they have argued that Goodell lacked the jurisdiction to rule in the matter and has violated the spirit of the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement by making public statements about the case that demonstrated he could not be a neutral arbitrator.

The players likely would have relinquished those legal arguments had they met with the commissioner to defend themselves through the NFL’s regular disciplinary process.

Vilma, who was suspended for the entire 2012 season, has already filed two separate lawsuits in the matter in federal court in New Orleans. One is a defamation lawsuit against Goodell himself. The other, which named the NFL as a defendant, asks for a temporary injunction that would allow Vilma to continue working while other related legal matters play out.

The NFL says its investigation found that Saints players paid into a system, run by former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams from 2009 to 2011, that offered improper cash payments to teammates who injured targeted opponents.

Vilma and Smith, who is suspended four games, are still with the Saints. Hargrove, now with Green Bay, was suspended eight games, while Fujita, who joined Cleveland in 2010, was suspended three games. Only Vilma’s suspension is effective immediately, while the other three players are able to participate in training camp.

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Nevada’s attorney general found nothing illegal or criminal in Manny Pacquiao’s controversial split-decision loss to Timothy Bradley in a welterweight title fight last month in Las Vegas, according to a letter made public.

Interviews with the referee of the June 9 fight, two Nevada Gaming Control Board officials and state Athletic Commission Director Keith Kizer turned up no evidence of wrongdoing, state Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto said in the letter to Top Rank Chief Executive Bob Arum.

Arum manages both fighters. He sought an inquiry on June 11, telling Masto he hoped it would “show the world that there were no improprieties.”

“Displeasure with the subjective decisions of sporting officials is not a sufficient basis for this office to initiate a criminal investigation,” Masto’s letter said. “There do not appear to be any facts or evidence to indicate that a criminal violation occurred.”

Masto aide Jennifer Lopez issued a statement calling the matter closed.

Bradley won 115-113 on two scorecards, while losing by the same margin on the third.

The decision was booed by the ringside crowd at the MGM Grand arena, drew a video review by the World Boxing Organization, and resulted in a call by Pacquiao for a rematch.

A five-judge panel assembled by the WBO championship committee unanimously favored the Filipino fighter in a review.

The WBO can’t overturn the result of the fight.

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The U.S. Olympic Committee will not bid for the 2022 Winter Games, but will instead explore the possibility of hosting either the 2024 Summer or 2026 Winter Olympics.

The USOC board decided to form a committee that would look into 2024 and 2026, in part because going for the 2022 Games would put the federation on a fast timeline. A bid for those Games would be due in the fall of 2013.

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The Atlantic Coast Conference announced a 12-year agreement with the Orange Bowl beginning after the 2014 season. It says details on the opponent and broadcast partner will come later.

The ACC has sent its champion to the South Florida-based bowl every year since 2006, and this announcement means that relationship will continue when the Bowl Subdivision makes the switch to a four-team playoff in two years.

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The Dallas Stars signed five-time NHL scoring champion Jaromir Jagr to a one-year contract for $4.55 million. The 40-year-old Czech spent last season with the Philadelphia Flyers, and scored 19 goals and had 54 points in 73 games after returning to the NHL from three years playing in Russia.