CLOSE PROX BETWEEN ACR-MLG AND SMA SHORTLY AFTER MLG DEPARTED SJC.

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WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AT SJC WITH THE SAN JOSE 4 DEP. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF THE TWR CALLED TFC AT 3 MI AND SAID TO STAY WITH HIM. WE LOOKED FOR THE TFC BUT THE HAZE AND SUN PROHIBITED US FROM SEEING IT; AND WE TOLD THE TWR SO. THE TWR ASKED THE OTHER TFC; AN SMA; IF HE HAD THE JET TFC IN SIGHT. THIS ALERTED US TO CONTINUE TO SEARCH FOR THE OTHER TFC. WE DID NOT SEE HIM UNTIL HE WAS PASSING JUST OFF OUR LEFT WING AT WHAT APPEARED TO BE 100-200'. NO EVASIVE ACTION WAS REQUIRED OR TAKEN. THIS INCIDENT WAS DISCUSSED BY TELEPHONE WITH THE SAN JOSE TWR SUPVR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE SMA THAT CAME CLOSE TO RPTR'S ACFT WAS INBND TO SJC FROM THE NW. TWR HAD TOLD THE PLT TO PROCEED DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT AT 2000' FOR A LEFT TURN INTO RWY 29. THE SMA PLT BECAME SOMEWHAT DISORIENTED AND PASSED APPROX 4 MI W OF THE ARPT BEFORE TURNING TOWARDS THE ARPT. BY THE TIME THE TWR NOTICED THIS ERROR AND GAVE RPTR A TFC ADVISORY; THE SMA WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE MLG. AT THE TIME OF THE NMAC; THE SMA WAS ENTERING DOWNWIND FOR RWY 29. A LATER CONVERSATION WITH THE SMA PLT REVEALED THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL INFO: THE SMA WAS ACTUALLY INBND TO RHV FROM PAO OVER NUQ. UPON CALLING SJC TWR; THE PLT WAS TOLD TO PROCEED OVER SAN JOSE AT OR ABOVE 2000' AND TO RPT PASSING. PLT OF SMA FELT THAT WAS VAGUE AND DID NOT TAKE IT TO MEAN DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT. AS A CONSEQUENCE THE SMA'S FLT PATH WAS TOWARD RHV AND WOULD CROSS THE DEP PATH FROM RWY 30 AT SJC ABOUT 2 MI NW OF THE ARPT. THIS IS WHERE THE CONFLICT OCCURRED. SMA PLT SAID THAT HE DID NOT FEEL AS THOUGH THIS WAS A NEAR MISS; BUT DID SAY IT WAS TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT.