IF.. and that is a big IF.. but if the reports were true, that there is some sort of $200m contract/incentive for Dwight to play in Brooklyn, then wouldn't it make sense for him to come to the Nets even if it's for the MLE next season, and thus it doesn't matter if we have cap space or not?

I have no idea if this deal exists or what the incentive would look like, but he would have a couple options going into next season.

Sign with his current club (whoever that may be) for 5/109.

Sign with a new club for 4/80

Sign with the Nets (if they don't have cap space) for the MLE or 3/15

If he picked our option, a couple things have to be considered...The deal would actually be comparable to 4/33 or 5/50 since we would be a free agent and able to sign another max deal and those 4th and 5th years would be about $18m each. However, if he truly has the monetary incentive to play for the Nets... tack another $200m onto those amounts (or the equivalent of that $200m over 5 years - the amount he would have received from Adidas regardless)

Anyway, the point of all this is... IF that incentive does exist, he can always use that against the Magic or any team trading for him and say.. it doesn't matter that the Nets only have the MLE to spend on me.. I'll take it, because I stand to gain $200m by doing so. /Negotiations.

Just wanted to share what I think is a rather appropriate song by one of my favorite bands, the Avett Brotthers. An ode to change and an ode to Brooklyn. Love the lyrics.

The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You

Load the car and write the note
Grab your bag and grab your coat
Tell the ones that need to know
We are headed north

One foot in and one foot back
But it don't pay, to live like that
So i cut the ties and i jumped the tracks
For never to return

Ah Brooklyn Brooklyn take me in
Are you aware the shape I'm in
My hands they shake my head it spins
Ah Brooklyn Brooklyn take me in

When at first I learned to speak
I used all my words to fight
With him and her and you and me
Oh but its just a waste of time
Yeah its such a waste of time

That woman shes got eyes that shine
Like a pair of stolen polished dimes
She asked to dance I said it's fine
I'll see you in the morning time

Ah Brooklyn Brooklyn take me in
Are you aware the shape im in
My hands they shake my head it spins
Ah Brooklyn Brooklyn take me in

Three words that became hard to say
I and love and you
What you were then, I am today
Look at the things I do

Ah Brooklyn Brooklyn take me in
Are you aware the shape I'm in
My hands they shake my head it spins
Ah Brooklyn Brooklyn take me in

Dumbed down and numbed by time and age
Your dreams to catch the world, the cage
The highway sets the travelers stage
All exits look the same

Three words that became hard to say
I and love and you
I and love and you
I and love and you

There are some very vocal opponents of the Wallace trade, and on the other end those that are at least content to wait to judge the trade depending on what happens between now and mid July.

For those that are decidedly against the trade, I'd like to understand why a bit better.

I know the "pundits" have commonly, quickly and easily passed off the trade as a terrible desperate measure by the Nets, but generally they don't really understand the bigger picture of individual teams and their agendas. I'd much rather get fellow fans' perspectives of even the beat reporters perspective than listen to a Marc Stein or Skip Bayless.

Of the common arguments I've heard, I'd like to address them, and then ask for further discussion.

1. Portland wanted to dump Wallace.

How is this known?

I did not hear his name in the rumor mill at all. In fact, Portland just traded 2 1st round picks for him only 12 months earlier.

The team was doing well to start the year and fell off, but they only moved two players.. Camby (who was an expirer anyway) and Gerald Wallace. They didn't move Crawford, Felton, Wes Matthews, LMA and others, so it doesn't look they were having a fire sale and selling assets off as cheaply as people suggest.

2. We could have had him for much less in trade.

How is this known?

Do we know there wasn't an offer from a team like the Bucks, Jazz or Rockets? Teams with a need at SF fighting for the playoffs? They all have borderline lotto picks and other assets they could have added.

If they didn't accept our offer then, when would they have accepted it? On draft night? Portland couldn't have traded Wallace on draft night because he has a player option (like Farmar).

3. We could have signed him in Free Agency.

How is this known?

We've had a revolving door of players turn their noses up at us. LBJ, Bosh, Boozer, Gay, Tyrus Thomas, Caron Butler, etc.

Why would Wallace consider us?

He admitted he knew nothing about this team when he got here. Now he knows the team and seemingly wants to be part of it's future.

In other words, Wallace went from a player we didn't have much of a chance at in free agency (or if we did, expect a massive overpay) to a player that I think will stay with us by either picking up his player option on resigning for more years at hopefully a reduced price.

4. We could have gotten a better value/player.

Like who?

Paul Pierce who is 5 years older, making $6m more per year? Other than him, I haven't heard of two many Small Forwards (our biggest need) that were being shopped. Iggy? He's about 50% more costly and IMO not that much better, if at all.

And when we would have traded for this better player?

Draft night we don't have cap space and only have about $9m worth of tradable salaries (Morrow, Petro, Brooks, Jordan Williams).

If it was next off-season, how would that have worked?

They wouldn't have wanted to sign until they knew Deron was staying, Deron wouldn't stay until extra help was brought in, etc. It would have been a vicious cycle and a waiting game.

5. We need to build through the draft and find impact players.

Isn't it all about Brooklyn?

Isn't it all about keeping Deron and putting the most competitive product out on the floor come October? Other than Anthony Davis and maybe MKG or Thomas Robinson who could have made an immediate impact and helped us right away? And by the way, we are only getting those players if we land in the top 3.. which we still can do and keep our pick.

Meanwhile, didn't we find an impact player with the 25th pick? Didn't we find an impact player in the D.League? Didn't we find a rotational player in the 2nd round? I'm thankful we have King to find talents like that.

6. We overpaid.

We can still win the trade can't we?

Portland got a good value (unless we get the pick this year and Portland gets a pick in the 20's next year), but it doesn't mean two teams can't win a trade.

Otherwise...

Aren't you glad we got to see Wallace and the impact he can have?

How could we have known he was the leader he is? His effort is contagious and leadership better than Deron's. Wallace more than Deron changed the culture of the team overnight and showed we can not just be competitive, but win games.. like how we are 7-6 in our last 13, and almost beat Miami.

Aren't you glad that we probably have a very good chance of keeping him around?

Because, I don't think he would have given us the time of day this off-season unless we threw massive money his way and begged him.

Aren't you glad we got rid of Shawne Williams who was $3m of dead weight next season?

My overall point is this....

We won't know how this trade truly plays out until July, just like the D.Williams trade. It was calculated risk that could have a massive payoff, or be terribly bad for this franchise. But apparently, the Front Office (with Deron Williams' blessing) thought it was a risk they had to take.

We've been all in on risks for years now, and most everybody has been on board with all of them. From LBJ to Melo to Deron to Dwight. Why, when we are so close to the end, should we give up on those risks and dreams now?

I'm sincerely looking forward to the responses, especially from the harshest critics of the trade, specifically Mr.DB and Elone. Thanks in advance.

A little write-up I posted elsewhere and wanted to share here...

Settle in folks...


Brooklyn Nets Overview:
Last Friday the NBA Board of Governors made it official. The Board approved the move to Brooklyn and the name change... The Brooklyn Nets. The name change goes into affect April 30th and the logo should be unveiled some time around then. Nets owner, Mikhail Prokhorov was in town for most of this week for the meetings and to take responsibility for another disappointing season, but insists he's active, supportive and gives the backing of King and Johnson. We'll see about that if Deron leaves!

He also made the bold claim he still wants a title in 5 years and wants to build a dynasty. Thus, there is a sense of urgency this off-season to open the new Barclay's Center (on September 28th after a series of Jay-Z concerts) with a presentable product. So there is no getting around it, this is the most important off-season for the Nets, maybe ever.


Draft:
As everyone is well aware the Nets took a major gamble by trading away their first round pick (#7 currently and should fall between 6 and 9). While the trade was great value for the Blazers (and thus not for the Nets on the surface), if G.Wallace re-signs and D.Williams stays the trade was a success. There was no guarantee G.Wallace would have signed with the Nets (as he said he admitted he knew nothing about the team) and their track record with free agents includes the likes of Travis Outlaw and Johan Petro. The team as also played very well since the trade (7-5 in their last 12) as Wallace's effort has been contagious and leadership far superior to Deron's. Point is, this trade really can't be graded until the summer from the Nets perspective.

As for the pick, if the Nets get lucky and get a top 3 pick, they keep it, if not Portland does. If they are in top 3, obviously Davis is their top target with Thomas Robinson (specifically mentioned by King as one of 3 players they want and why they protected the pick) probably the second choice. (it doesn't hurt that T.Robinson mentioned he wants New Jersey.. he means Brooklyn). MKG would be the third choice seemingly, but the wings are suddenly crowded, and I could see that player traded for immediate help.

The Nets also own the right's to Houston's first rounder if they make the playoffs, which Hollinger has as an 80% chance right now. Good luck Houston, and hopefully the Nets bad luck doesn't curse you too. With that pick, I'd suspect an athletic big would be the target. I've heard Henson and T.Jones as players they like.

However, do not be surprised if you see a trade (or two) on draft night. King is notorious for draft night wheeling and dealing, and it will essentially be their last chance to impress Deron. The only players that can be moved though are Morrow, Petro, Brooks and J.Williams. They do have their $3m in cash to send out, which I expect them to do to buy a pick at the minimum.

As if it matters, the Nets also have Miami's 2nd rounder this season. Yay!


Free Agency
This is all about Deron Williams.

Dallas or Brooklyn?
That is the question.
Sorry Indiana (who may be his best choice) or Portland (another top choice with good friends LMA and Wes), but it will come down to these two cities. Deron has been very cryptic and at times offensive to fans of the Nets, while nothing but smiles when talking Dallas. So it's Dallas, right? Not so fast... since on the Nets, Deron now has sponsorships with Metro PCS (a major sponsor of the Barclay's Center), Audi, Red Bull and some smaller endorsements. Dirk has no endorsements I know of (heard he said early on he's not interested) nor can I think of any that Terry, Kidd or Marion have. For a player that went to Turkey so he could make money during the lock-out this has to be a consideration. Another interesting tid bit is the fact his little brother enrolled in prep school for next school year to be closer to his big brother.. in New Jersey.

However, Brooklyn is not his hometown, does not have Dirk, does not have an absentee owner and is not the defending champion.

At times I've written off Deron's return, sometimes for logical reasons, other times for emotional reasons. To be honest, I really don't know what to think. I'd like to give the slight edge to Brooklyn, but think Dallas has just as good a chance. Does that make sense?

Either way, he's obviously a max contract and Brooklyn can offer the most money and most years.

However, Brooklyn cannot sit on their hands waiting for Deron (nor do I think he will wait long to make his decision), they have plenty of other major free agents to worry about, such as...

Gerald Wallace (PO) - as discussed before, Gerald Wallace has to be retained. He's been a great leader and changed the culture more than Deron. He is going to be 30 when the season starts, but the Nets cannot afford to lose out on him. After being turned down by LBJ, Bosh, Boozer, Tyrus Thomas, Rudy Gay and others the last couple years a real free agent deciding to stay here would be a revelation and why the trade was made... to upgrade SF majorly and familiarize Wallace with the Nets. Wallace has a player option, and expect him to opt out for more years and more security. Hopefully this is done quickly as well so his cap hold is off the books... at a reasonable cost.

Brook Lopez (RFA) - Lopez missed all but 5 games this year but reminded Net fans why he is vital in the 2 full games he played.. 38 in a win at Dallas, 28 in a loss at Boston. He is their only low post option and perhaps the most gifted offensive center in the game. Of course injuries are now part of his repertoire after never missing a game his first 3 years. The Nets hope they are not chronic, but they have to be smart not to offer too much guaranteed money to a player with no guarantees.

Gerald Green - He has been a revelation. A great scorer with excellent size and good defense to match. He's also the most exciting Net since VC and extremely marketable. He must be kept IMO.

Kris Humphries - Signed to a one year deal this year, he continues to be consistent, but perhaps not a full time starter, or one this team can afford to start. His defense regressed, while his offense progressed, however the Nets need him for his defense. At the right price, and barring bigger and better things, he'd be welcome back and wants to come back.

The other free agents include:
DeSean Stevenson - buh-bye, I hope. Never in shape, never found his shot.
Damion James - his option declined for next season, but he was never waived (despite the extensive injuries). I wouldn't be surprised if he was our 3rd string SF.
Shelden Williams - a solid contributor all year, but very limited offensively and size wise, a possible third stringer in Brooklyn given his effort this year, though I think we need more.
Sundiata Gaines - time to move on for someone with more upside.. or simply better.


Returning players:

Not many.. at least guaranteed.

Anthony Morrow - perhaps affected the most without Lopez as he seldom got open looks. However, he can shoot and... shoot. He's an expirer I expect him to be moved.
Johan Petro - at least he's expiring.
MarShon Brooks - hit a rookie wall, but had been playing well again as of late, without many noticing. has found a nice niche as a play-maker, as well as scorer.
Jordan Williams - a second rounder who has really come on as of late. A great rebounder in college that has translated to the NBA with soft hands around the rim. Could be a competent back up in this league which is all you can ask of a 2nd rounder.
Jordan Farmar - Has a player option, but expect him to pick it up as injuries ended a solid campaign early. This seems to be a given right now, so I'll group him here.


Best Case Scenario for Brooklyn this Off-Season

Draft Night:
Nets #1 - If it is #1, Davis. If it is #2, Thomas Robinson, if it is #3 the highest return among Drummond and MKG. However, the odds are this pick goes to Portland

Houston #1 - If Houston makes the playoffs, as stated there have been certain targets.. Henson, T.Jones. My preference would be to draft a player for another team, for a trade to be executed after July 1st. More on that soon. If they don't make the playoffs, I still see that pick being parlayed.

Miami #2 - Euro-stash. The Nets have invested heavily in international scouting, so it's time to test their scouts.

$3m for a late pick - with cash more valuable than ever (and $3m the most able to be sent out over a course of an entire season in total), a team with a late pick and financial incentive should be targeted.


Free Agency
Renounce all free agents to clear up maximum cap space, except for Lopez with his reduced cap hold.

Sign Deron Williams for the Max.
5 years full raises, and do it ASAP if possible.

Sign Gerald Wallace for 4/32.
If he does not opt in, and add a team option for the last season. He has said nothing but good things about the Nets and their future. It seems he wants to be here and this seems like a reasonable deal for a player his age.

Sign Gerald Green for 4/24.
Another player that seemingly loves it here and made that clear to Boston reporters Saturday night. We need to be beat out MLE team, so a 4th year and more money was added.

Sign Ersan Ilyasova for 4/35.
He is unrestricted and I know he has had been up and down about playing for the Bucks (or in the NBA) and talked about Europe. Perhaps the international flare of NYC and Deron's Turkish connection will appeal to him. His rebounding, defense and offensive game would make excellent fits next to Lopez.

Sign Brook Lopez last for 5/60.
In order to take advantage of his reduced cap hold ($7.7m) this would be done last assuming he doesn't sign an offer sheet with another club, which I do not think he will do as he has made it clear he wants to be part of Brooklyn. This is a huge gamble given his injuries, so if possible there needs to be some sort of team option or insurance clauses built into the contract. The 5th season is an advantage the Nets have here as well.

Sign Bojan Bogdanovic for rookie deal.
Our 2nd rounder from last season who has had a very good year in Europe. Some claimed he was late lotto material if not for buy out issues, and it is said he is 50/50 on coming over next year. If the SG/SF is not available, bring back D.James for the minimum.

Sign Keith Bogans for the minimum.
He had a short stint this season and is a client of Dan Fagan who really wanted Dwight in Brooklyn. If not him, maybe add Stevenson back. The point is a defensive minded wing is needed.

Sign Shelden Williams for the minimum.
A hard working, but limited player. He can be third string depth.

Room MLE - AK47
AK was nearly a Net this year if not for the Lopez injury and Okur trade. There is said be strong mutual interest, but admittedly AK would have to be willing to take a pay cut from his former boss and friend Prokhorov. If AK is not an option a SF like CJ Miles should be targeted


Trade
After July 1st (after Farmar opts in), but before our free agent signings

w/Cleveland
Morrow, Farmar, Petro, Houston #1
for
Varejao

All 3 players are expirers and could fill holes for Cleveland. The Houston pick was either picked for Cleveland on draft night, or rolls over to next draft if it did not come to fruition.

The Nets do this to clear roughly $4m in cap space to help resign G.Green and get help at Center.

If Cleveland is not interested, the same pieces (depending on the return) could be used to target overpaid bigs that still allow us to clear so cap room (CV, Harrington, Gooden, Blatche.. pieces who should actually get us some assets back for taking them on).


2012-2013 Brooklyn Nets

Deron Williams / Purchased #1 / Vet Minimum
Gerald Green / MarShon Brooks / Keith Bogans
Gerald Wallace / Andrei Kirilenko / Bojan Bogdanovic
Ersan Ilyasova / Jordan Williams
Brook Lopez / Anderson Varejao / Shelden Williams


A deep balanced team with their future picks still in tact. They should be a team fighting for home court advantage right away with enough youth and upside to have higher aspirations in the immediate future. They also still have the assets (Lopez, Wallace, Varejao, Brooks, Picks) to make a move for a certain someone later in the season, once their contracts are eligible to be moved.



NOTE: I was asked to do a "If Deron Doesn't Sign" synopsis, but I'm not sure one is needed.
Not because I think it's anywhere near certain he stays, rather because I don't think things change drastically. The Nets are committed to putting out a respectable product on the floor in Brooklyn, and their line-up looks to be rather set 2-5. If Deron doesn't come back the targets should be:

Dragic - hopefully not for a massive overpay (under $9m)
Sessions -again, no overpay (under $8m)
Nash - for a large for but short deal
A.Miller - as a one year stop gap until a long term solution can be found (perhaps next summer)
Billups - another stop gap

And for each of those players, another player could be signed (like Humphries brought back) or the cap space left open for flexibility. Fortunately, PG seems to be very deep at the moment, so I don't think panic would ensue... rather major disappointment.

I'll admit I've given up on this season, so naturally I'm thinking about next.

I already wrote a post about a coaching change, but this is going to focus on personnel.

First off, I don't think we are getting a pick this year. If we do, that changes things some, but I'm doing this under the impression we do not get a top 3 pick.

1. Draft night

Make a move then to show Deron we are improving the team all the time and soon as we can.

Morrow, Farmar, Petro, Brooks (Houston #1 if needed) for Paul Pierce.

I think this works financially if Farmar picks up his player option, or if we can trade him that night. Pierce would be our starting SG and we'd have one of the best perimeter rotations with him, Deron and G.Wallace. He also might be able to lure KG into the fold. Boston may do this as they continue their rebuild. They need players and perhaps they regret trading Brooks our way.

2. Free Agency

Re-sign everyone. Deron, G.Wallace (if he opts out), G.Green, Hump, Shelden and Lopez. The days of hoarding cap space are over. Let's load up on players and contracts (hopefully reasonable ones) D.Will gets a 5 year max, Wallace hopefully a sensible deal (ideally he opts in), Humphries something like 4/30, Lopez something like 4/50.

With the MLE we target KG

With the LLE we get more depth

Bring Kidd back as he said he wanted to back-up Deron, wherever that may be

For wing depth look at familiar faces like Bogans or Stevenson

3. Buy out Bogdanovic's contract

And get him over here if possible. If not look for another gem in the D.League

2012-2013 Brooklyn Nets

Deron Williams / Jason Kidd / Jerry Smith

Paul Pierce / LLE / Stevenson or Bogans

Gerald Wallace / Gerald Green / Bojan Bogdanovic

Kevin Garnett / Kris Humphries / Jordan Williams

Brook Lopez / Shelden Williams / Miami #2

The #2 may not make the team and if Jeff Foote is around maybe look at him, or simply keep the roster spot open.

I think the team above would be an instant contender in the East. We'd have no cap flexibility, but if we hand out smart contracts we will keep our options open.

Now that we are all but of assured of going into Brooklyn Dwight-less and barring a draft day or off-season miracle trade we should be star-less as well (or at best Deron and not another big name player with him), we are back to being irrelevant.

Short of us drafting Anthony Davis, I don't see any reason for the fans to be excited for a roster similar to this one going into Brooklyn. Yes, we can still tweak the team, but our best asset (our #1) was traded, and I don't see the remaining pieces (Brooks, the Houston #1, soon to be expirers like Morrow, Farmar, Petro) netting us major return. (I'm leaving Lopez out because of his RFA status)

However, there is one more way to get a big name on the court, or rather the sidelines, at that is a coaching hire.

As much, as I've wanted to give Avery time to work with a real squad, I see little evidence to show he is capable of motivating this team (thus historically bad defense) or come up with a functional offense.

Something more has to give. We can keep changing players until we are blue in the face, but after a while the turnover is overkill. We need to make an quicker and more drastic change that could have an even greater impact than pretty much any player we could sign or trade for given our situation.

We also need a name to market and stay relevant going into Brooklyn. Right now, we're not going to take over anything in Brooklyn. We'll be lucky to take over the crowd for home games and have them root for us, and not the Clippers or Wolves. Right now, there is no way we will have more crowd support for the Nets than the Knicks at the Barclays.

But, I can see one thing changing all that...

Prokhorov opening up his wallet and throwing a HUGE offer at one of the following coaches:

Phil Jackson - Phil Jackson is one of the Greatest of All Time.. but probably not considered the GOAT coach (like Auerbach or Wooden) for one reason, and one reason only.. he only won with the very best players of their respective eras (MJ, Pippen, Kobe, Shaq). He never led a rebuild and never won without the true elites. It's not to see he couldn't be never did. We don't know. I doubt he would want to end his career with a perhaps failed attempt in Brooklyn, but it would be potentially the riskiest move ever that could cement him as the GOAT coach. It would take Tens of Millions to get him to considered it, but the buzz around this would be electric.

Jeff Van Gundy - A coach with a great resume, but more importantly a NY connection. He's done his broadcasting gig for some time, perhaps he's ready to come back to coaching and NYC? He's also a great defensive coach and a great basketball mind in general. The rivalry with Orlando would be intense as we matched up against his brother and Dwight.

Coach K - It would take an insane amount of money for him to consider it, but perhaps he has a good relationship with Deron from the Olympics and could be intrigued by this. A well respected coach and arguably the most famous one in all of basketball right now.

Maybe these are all pipe dreams.

Maybe these are all too simplistic ideas.

Maybe these are too gimicky.

I don't know.

All, I know is that this team went from having a huge amount of promise and buzz, to being ... the Nets again.

I'm just looking for regain that buzz.

If Orlando finally decides to trade Dwight they will surely want to get rid of some of their bad contract, which they have plenty of..... Turkoglu, G.Davis, J.Rich, Q,Rich and Duhon.

For their complete salary info, check here:

http://www.shamsports.com/content/pages/data/salaries/magic.jsp

That said, if the trade was something along these lines:

Lopez, Brooks, Picks

Okur, Farmar, Petro, Shawne W.

for

Howard

Roster Filler (Ish Smith, Liggins, Von Wafer, Orton)

with the main variant being the bad contracts coming back, which combination would you want?

Turkoglu

G.Davis + Q.Rich

J.Rich + Duhon

With our biggest being SF, Turkoglu wouldn't be bad. He has the largest contract per year, but it's only partially guaranteed for $3m his last season.

G.Davis is a player the Nets have liked in the past, but he is having the worst season of the bunch and arguably on the worst contract as it is the longest and most total money.

J.Rich is another long contract and he's getting up their in age, but he's arguably the most productive of the bunch.

Basically, which combination do you think is the best to add to:

D. Williams / Gaines

Morrow / Von Wafer / Liggins

G.Green / Stevenson

Humphries / Jordan W.

Howard / Shelden W. / Orton

That he has the power to help us become a potential dynasty overnight if he makes it to free agency?

As much as I want Dwight on the Nets this season, there really isn't much point from a Nets perspective. Yes, it secures his spot on the team, but a NY Knicks-type cost. For this season, we may be too far out of the playoffs by the time he is traded here as we would be challenged by a lack of time, chemistry and depth. For future seasons we may be crippled by a lack of assets and cap flexibility to improve enough to be a true contender.

However, if Dwight and his agent simply inform the Nets not to make an offer for him (because he is going to opt out regardless of what team he is on at the end of the season), then we have the ability to start the Brooklyn era with a dynasty. Orlando still would have the ability to trade Dwight wherever they want/can (as they could now), but any team would have to look at the trade as a rental of Dwight, or at the very least a non-committal Dwight.

We all know what the line-up could look like if we aren't forced to trade for Dwight and signs with us outright:

Deron W. / MIA #2

Brooks / Morrow

2012 #1 / Shawne W.

Lopez / Jordan W.

Howard / Petro

With a mini-MLE and potentially Bogdanovic, the Houston #1 and resigned vets like Gaines, Bogans and Shelden Williams added to the mix.

We would be an instant contender and one of the top 4 teams in the league along with OKC, Miami and Chicago.

Dwight, surely must know this, right?

I posted this elswhere, and it got locked..not surprisingly.

Never Thought There Was Such Blatant Tampering By Refs Until

I watched the Nets Clippers game on Monday.

I'm not complaining about the outcome, we're the Nets, we're used to losses and I'm not sure they altered the outcome (despite the fact we came back from 17 to tie the game half way through the 4th). But I have never seen refs such blatantly cheat by not making 3 obvious calls tonight. I'm not sure who was in on it among the refs, who told them to do it, how much they get, but this was obvious.

Twice, the Clippers goal tended 2 shots that had already hit the back board, yet the call was not made. It is hard TO miss when the shot hits off the back board and then gets swatted, yet all 3 refs missed it?

One other time, Griffin clearly hit the ball out of bounds and the refs even reviewed the video which evidenced this and said it did not!?! The camera scrolled past half-court and the announcers after the call. I thought it was funny watching the set of Net announcers talking about the call, while most others (LAC announcers I assume) were silent. Again, the refs had video of Griffin hitting the ball out of bounds, they watched it, and said it did not.

I don't have the clips available, but if anyone does please post them.

The point is, I am now a firm believer the officiating in the NBA can be manipulated. Now I'm curious as to by who and how they are compensated for their cooperation.

Please lock or delete this too Netsdaily if you think this will get me or your site in trouble. Otherwise I think it is a fair observation.

Random observations of today's game.

A. Our starting line-up needs a shake up. We can't keep getting behind in games and trying to battle back. Stevenson, I don't think is the guy for SF. We got way behind with him starting and unless there is a specific wing to stop, I don't think he holds much value on the court. I mean he finally took his first 2 pointer of the season today.. sad. This is going to sound blasphemous, but I think we should start Farmar until James or Shawne come back. Hear me out... We don't have enough scoring/offense or momentum when we start games. We start slow and passive. At least Farmar has shown he will play aggressively, especially when he plays with Deron on the floor as the off-guard. Unlike Gaines, I think Farmar is better as a SG and Deron would still play the point. The caveat would be Farmar must be instructed he will get his minutes assuming he passes to everyone including MarShon. But I'd rather Farmar spotting up for the 3 than Stevenson, and I'd rather him putting the ball on the floor than Morrow. Yes this puts Brooks back at SF, and as much as I don't like him there, he can play there. If that doesn't work, go back to Morrow, but I don't think Stevenson or Gaines are the answer. Or trade for a SF. Sadly, I miss Damion James because of his rebounding (which is excellent for a SF) and defense. I think he would have been much more serviceable with Brooks next to him as he would have no offensive expectations.

B. MarShon is right on two things. We are close to winning if we start executing/converting. The talent is there on offense from our guards to keep us in games along with the 3 pointers from role players. The defense and rebounding could be there from the frontcourt with more from Hump, Sheldon and healthy D.James. Brooks continues to impress me on defense, and we know D.Will is capable, or we were told. Secondly, there needs to be fire on the team, and it needs to come from Deron and even some from Okur, in that he is a vet and used to a winning atmosphere. They both need to start drinking Red Bull and play with some passion. High five your teammates, yell at them on defensive miscues, but most of all lead by example.

C. I know most of realize how much we miss Brook (and injuries in general have hurt us), but there is something major missing from this team, that would have been added had not Lopez went down.. Kirilenko. If we didn't have to sign Okur (who hasn't been overly impressive), and had a healthy Lopez and AK (who we would have added about a week ago), we would be a much much better team. AK alone would make this team soooo much better as our SF rotation is terrible.I dream about this rotation: Deron | Brooks | AK | Hump | Lopez

D. Pay no mind to the Dwight/LAC rumor. Dwight denied it, and unless they trade Griffin (which I doubt they would), they won't get Dwight. They don't have enough in FA from the Paul trade and the Jordan and Butler contracts next summer even with amnestying Mo Williams.

E. Shelden Williams is the man. He's so bad offensively and should never be allowed to shoot a jump shot, but he works his butt off on defense and on the glass. When Lopez is healthy, we're going to have the best collection of big men (Lopez, Okur, Hump, Shelden), in a long, long while. He's like a cross between Collins and Aaron Williams for me. Him and Humphries and sometimes Morrow and Okur, remind me that we do have some great role players on this team, we're just lacking one more AS quality player.

F the refs. What was that?! Two blatant goal tending calls that were "missed" not to mention the "missed" call they reviewed and SAW Griffin knock the ball out. That was incredulous. I've never seen such blatant cheating by refs before tonight. I don't know who tells them to rig games like that, or how much they get paid to do it, but if anyone doubts it, there it was.

G. +4 for Brooks in 42 minutes, yet we lost by 10 in 48. Gotta love this guy. I also don't mind that he's not getting too many more looks. He doesn't force things, and we don't want him to develop a chucker's mentality. He manages to play within the game and stay efficient. He'll start getting his soon enough, but I like the consistency and the build up. Once he has a decent big man to play with, he will look even better.

H. Last but not least.. Deron. I often think the criticism is unfair, but tonight was one of those nights where it was justified. He just doesn't help the team the way he should/could. His shots aren't falling, he's turning the ball over and he continues to demonstrate poor leadership with his poor body language and lack of motivation on the court. I still think he's a top PG in the league (behind Rose, Paul), but I also think it is being demonstrated he's not a trans formative player with his play or leadership.He excelled in Utah with a good big man, system and coach, but he doesn't have the tools to carry the load offensively or defensively. Kidd would be able to change a game with offense by taking it to the rim, drawing fouls or easy buckets, or on defense by forcing steals/turnovers and getting the team to run with him and match his effort.

He should ask NJ to trade him.

However, any team that trades him should know, he is going to opt out and remain non-committal. However, depending on the team, I'm sure some would feel confident they would resign him.

Then, Deron simply leaves that team high and dry next summer and goes back to NJ, having gotten us additional assets in the process.

He also tells Dwight he should do the same thing. Be willing to be traded to another team like LA, so they are stripped of assets, and not actually re-sign with them.

For example:

Deron gets traded to Dallas, who obviously thinks he will stay.

We get Kidd, Odom, Terry, Roddy B., #1 for Deron, Farmar, Petro, Shawne W.

Dallas thinks they made out like bandits.

Dwight gets traded to LA for Bynum and maybe Gasol. LA gets their guy and thinks all is good in La La land.

However, both leave their respective teams and come back to Brooklyn having ruined Dallas and LAL!

Deron W. / Roddy B.

Brooks / Morrow

'12 #1 / D.James

Lopez / Jordan W.

Howard / HOU #1

And then to make things even better, players like Odom/Kidd/Terry decide to stick around for the MLE or minimum contracts since they like the team so much.

Brilliant right!

For 2012.

If Dwight makes it to free agency, we do have enough money to offer him a Max contract.. if we renounce Lopez.

Otherwise I think we are about $8m over where we need to be. Farmar and Shawne W. both have player options for next year, and while Farmar has hinted he could opt out to start somewhere (maybe back in Israel), we can't assume he will. We also can't assume Shawne will either, considered how awful he has looked this year.

That said we have the following contracts in 2012 we could move:

Farmar

Shawne W.

Petro

Morrow

D.James

We could stretch exception Petro which would saves us $1.75m, We can also decline the option on D.James. That would leave us with about $41.5m in committed salary.. not including our pick or roster holds. If you add about $2.5m for our pick and about $2m in roster holds (to get to the 12 man limit), we're closer to $46m. In order to sign Dwight we need about $40m in committed salary on the books to fit in the $17.5m he can make here.

Thus, at minimum we need to clear about $5-6m is salary if we declined James and stretched Petro.

A rough breakdown:

Deron Williams - $17,500,000

Anthony Morrow - $4,000,000

Jordan Farmar - $4,250,000

Johan Petro - $1,750,000

Brook Lopez - $9,200,000

Damion James - $0

Shawne W. - $3,200,000

Brooks - $1,200,000

Jordan W.- $500,000

#1 - $2,500,000

Holds - $2,000,000

Total salaries: $46,100,000

BTW...Does anyone know by when Farmar and Petro need to decide if they are picking up their options?

From reading posts here and elsewhere, I'm shocked that the 12 win and 24 win argument is used against a player who was 21 and 22 years old during those campaigns. More shocking is looking at the list of players Lopez has played with these last two season.

Taking a look at the bunch:

D.Williams (for 12 games during which he was injured)
Devin Harris
Kris Humphries
Anthony Morrow
Courtney Lee

Terrance Williams
Jordan Farmar
Damion James
Josh Boone
Sean Williams
Yi
Eduardo Najera
CDR
Keyon Dooling
Sundiata Gaines
Mario West
Brandon Wright
Johan Petro
Stephen Graham
Dan Gadzuric
Jarvis Hayes
Quentin Ross
Ben Uzoh
Rafer Alston
Bobby Simmons
Trenton Hassell
Tony Battie
Chris Quinn

Many of those players aren't even in the NBA anymore. I would not expect a 21 or 22 year old player to be able to do much with a supporting cast like that. He's played with exactly two full time starting quality players the past 2 years, Deron Williams (for 12 games with a bum wrist) and Devin Harris. Anthony Morrow is a borderline starter and Kris Humphries was perhaps a contract year fluke and had never been a starter previously.

There has not been a team with less talent the last two years than NJ.

Didn't see one posted....

Philly trades:
Brand, Iggy
for
R.Anderson, Duhon, Petro Q.Rich, '12 NJ #1, #2, Cash
$17m TE for Brand / $19m Savings

Holiday / Duhon
Turner / L.Williams / Meeks
Young / Q.Rich / Nocioni
R.Anderson / Speights / Brackins
Hawes / Vucevic / Petro

-Goes for a top 5 pick
-Become major players in summer 2012 or any time with the massive TE
-Overnight rebuild with a chance to be great in 3+ years depending


Orlando trades:
Howard, Turkoglu, Q.Rch, Duhon, Anderson
for
Lopez, Brand, Iggy, Farmar, '12 HOU #1, '14 NJ #1, Rights to Bogdanovic

Nelson / Farmar / Liggins
J.Rich / Reddick / Von Wafer
Iggy / Hughes
Brand / G.Davis / Harper
Lopez / Orton

-A competitive and good team, but clearly limited.
-Goes with their win now moves as of late


NJ trades:
Lopez, Farmar, Petro
'12 + '14 #1 , HOU #1, #2
Rights to Bogdanovic
Cash
$18m cap space
for
Dwight, Hedo

Deron / Gaines
Morrow / Brooks
Turkoglu / D.James
Shawne / Jordan
Howard / Sheldon

-No need to explain why the Nets would do it.

-Depth would have to be addressed next season.

Between now and the summer, there will be just one thing on our mind and on the minds of Orlando, the Lakers and Mavs. Where will Dwight end up?

If I had to guess, the Magic will trade him, but it's a matter of when.

A couple dates may help answer this question:

December 31st

The Lakers 5th game and the last game of Bynum's suspension

Orlando will want both Gasol and Bynum, and I have a feeling LA would offer both. Yes, maybe Kobe would not be happy, but I don't think the FO cares anymore about appeasing a player in his mid 30's who may be ready to retire. Then again, Kobe could be fine with this deal as he was never a Bynum supporter and realizes this team needs to rebuild. Perhaps the Lakers and Orlando have simply been waiting for this time to come?

Also, this is the last day Dwight can be traded to a team and retain his Bird rights.

By this time, I'm not sure Orlando will care one way or another if Dwight gets his Bird rights, but at the same time future players and agents may not be happy with a team that intentionally screws over a player (and their agent)

January 9th

The day rookies can be traded.

One of our best assets other than Lopez or our savings is MarShon Brooks. There is a lot of hype around this kid, and I'm sure Orlando would insist on his inclusion if he can be included at the time of the deal.

February 26th

The NBA All-Star game in Orlando

Perhaps Orlando wants to make sure Dwight is still on the team and representing them on this day. It seems a long time from now, and the relationship could go south quickly so I'm not sure this date is that important.

March 1st

The day newly signed players can be traded

Not that Orlando would want any of NJ's prized signings this off-season, but if we need to include any filler, we would have to wait until this date to do so.

March 15th

The trade deadline.

Orlando has insisted they are not going to let what happened with Shaq, happen again. This date is their last chance

IMO we will be able to figure out Dwight's future by January 1.

If Orlando is going to trade him to LA, they would do it after Bynum's suspension is over. They would also probably want to come across looking like the good guy and trade Dwight to one of his preferred destination (though not his 1st) and do it in time for him to get his Bird rights. They do this to look good to future players and agents, and they do it to get 2 quality pieces that they may want.

However, if Dwight is not traded to the Lakers by January 1, then I think this means he will be a Net. Either they were waiting for MarShon Brooks, or the relationship has gone south and Orlando isn't going to help Dwight. If so, Dwight does what he can to screw over Orlando, insists he's not going to stay with any team but NJ and is will to go there as a FA (our ideal scenario)

The better question is who do we replace them with?

Right now, I think it's apparent we need to keep as much cap space open as possible for when Orlando is ready to trade Dwight, because they will trade him. At that point, it will come down to, do they want to quasi contend with high priced pieces like Bynum and Gasol (which I assume LA will offer.. if they have not already and Orlando is waiting for Bynum's suspension to end) or do they want to hit the reset button and get major financial relief, which will be our selling point.

Until then, I've resigned, this roster is going to be bargain basement. That said, we do need to find better players on this roster to put out a semi-competitive product.

Right now our roster is:

D.Will / Farmar / Gaines

Morrow / Brooks / Graham

D.James / Sha.Williams / Udoka

She. Wililams / J.Williams / Horner

Lopez / Petro

We need to waive Graham and Udoka. We also need to count out Jordan Williams who should stay in Springfield. Petro, as much as we dislike him, is here to stay as no one would take him.

So who is there that would help at the 3 and at the 4 that we would be willing to spend next to nothing on? I'm looking mainly at free agents, since we don't have anything to offer in trade, and I don't see any players on teams over the tax worth targeting.

Some names at PF:

Kenyon Martin - If he gets released from his contract, we need to go after him ASAP, hoping he's willing to take a minimal contract. No, he's not who he once was, but he is still 10x the player any of our bigs are outside of Lopez.

Dante Cunningham - I don't know where he is, but he is a nice underrated player

Leon Powe - Always injured, but if healthy he's worth the risk.

Reggie Evans - a rebounding machine

Etan Thomas - not sure is he's still playing, but an experienced defender

Darius Songalia - a little long in the tooth, but a nice player back in the day

Nick Fazekas - a great shooter playing well in the NBDL

Some names at SF:

Boki Nachbar - we knows he's out there and wants to be here

Peja - don't think he's signed yet anywhere. All he needs to do is stand there and shoot.

Adam Morrison - we almost bit last year

Al Thornton - he's unperformed big time but was a talent

James Posey - was amnestied and around

No, not the sexiest of names, and no they don't turn us into much more than what we are, but we need at least to put out players with a certain level of talent around the others on this team.

Until we have the Dwight situation resolved (he's traded to us, he's traded to LA) I think this would be the best line-up we could expect.

Deron W. / Farmar / Gaines

Morrow / Brooks

D.James / Shawne W. / Posey

K. Martin / Powe / Horner / Jordan W.

Lopez / Sheldon W. / Petro

Dwight wants to be here. Deron wants to be here, and wants Dwight here. So, if Dwight is a FA next summer, and we have the cap space, guess what? He's coming here.

1st off, he is not staying in Orlando.

2nd, he does not lose that much money by walking either.

Maybe my math is wrong, but here is what I am going by.

Next year, he is eligible for a contract that starts at roughly $17.4m or 30% of the cap.

If he signs with his current team, he is eligible for a 5 year deal with 7.5% raises.
If he signs with a new team, he is eligible for a 4 year deal with 4.5% raises.

The first offer would be 5yr/$101m.
The second offer would be 4yr/$74m

He does not get about $27m of guaranteed money if he does not sign with their incumbent team.


BUT.. if you compare the first 4 years of each contract, the offers change to:

4/78
vs.
4/75


So the incumbent team can pay about $3.4m more over 4 years.


One would have to assume however, that Howard would be able to get a fairly large contract in that 5th year, so it's hard to say what the difference over 5 years would be, other than that one is guaranteed, while the other comes with no guarantees due to injury or other circumstances.

But, a 4th year might be more favorable, as he would be asking for a new contract when he is a year younger and now eligible for a deal that starts at 35% of the salary cap (which may have gone up by then.)

So, assuming Dwight will come her next year (and King knows this thanks to Fagan and Deron), we should sign exaggerated 1 year deal for Humphries, Shawne Williams and RJ/J.Howard and stay as far below the salary cap as we can, in case Orlando changes their mind or other teams want to gives us assets for taking on 1 year contracts.

Please use this FanPost for all Dwight Howard trade ideas. Do not create a new FanPost for an additional idea. Just post it in the comments below.

Thanks.

NetsDaily

One thing that has become somewhat apparent is that Orlando wants to win now.

They signed J.Rich, Davis and prefer experienced Laker players over ours.. supposedly.

If so, NJ needs to find the win now pieces.

1st Billy needs to call up his pals in Philly and our old friend Thorn (who may not be our friend anymore) and ask about Iggy. Iggy would be the perfect SF for Orlando in that he adds a defender, like they had with Ariza or Barnes. Philly would welcome the major financial relief.

2nd we need to find Orlando a center replacement, as in arguably the 2nd best C in the game in Bogut. Orlando technically makes the smallest downgrade at center they could. Along with Iggy they can be an elite defensive team. Milwaukee may want to rebuild and save money with no clear direction.

.

End Result: a Billy Style 4 way

.

Orlando trades:

Howard, Turkoglu

for

Bogut, Iggy, 2 NJ #1, $4m TPE

.

.

Milw trades:

Bogut, Ilyasova

for

Lopez, Petro, $8m TPE, Rights to Bogdanovic

.

.

Philly trades:

Iggy

for

Farmar, HOU #1, $10m TPE, $3m Cash

.

.

NJ trades:

Lopez, Farmar, Petro, '13 + '15 NJ #1, '12 HOU #1, Rights to Bogdanovic, $22m Trade Exception, $3m Cash

for

Dwight, Hedo, Ilyasova

.

.

2011-2012 Opening Night Roster

D.Williams / Gaines/ J.Curry

Morrow / Brooks

D.James / Turkoglu / J.Howard

Ilyasova / J.Williams

Howard / Sh.Williams

.

.

We'd be able to sign the mini-MLE and minimum players after that.

It's not deep, but the core is there.

1. Contract Status
Bynum makes roughly 5 times ($15m) what Brook will make this season ($3m), and then he as a $16m expiring contract which then makes him an unrestricted free agent, while Lopez will be a restricted free agent after this year. In other words, Bynum is only under contract for 18 more months and then has a chance to play for any team that can afford him. Lopez is a restricted free agent after this season, and can be locked up for the next 5 years by whatever team has his rights.


2. Injuries
Bynum has missed 160 games in his 6 years or about 27 per season.
Brook has missed 0 games in his 3 year career.

Most of Bynum's injuries have been major injuries and are potentially chronic. Lopez, despite mono one summer and a calcium deposit in his shoulder, has not missed a single training camp or game for the Nets.


3. Head to head
Lopez destroys Bynum in h2h, despite Bynum's supposed huge edge in defense.

24 ppg
10 rpg
3 apg
1.5 bpg
1 spg
3 fouls pg
51% FG
83% FT

vs.

7 ppg
5 rpg
1 apg
2 bpg
0 apg
5 fouls pg
46% FG
64% FT

This surprises even me. Yes, it is only 4 games (of course Bynum missed 2 of their 6 match ups with injuries), but why do Lopez's numbers go up across the board against Bynum?

Despite being the focal point of the offense, and thus Bynum's defense, he puts up some of his best numbers against him.

Despite Bynum playing with arguably the best teammates in basketball, his numbers and efficiency go down against a supposedly poor defender.

The best reasons Laker fans gave me were because of injuries (troubling that these are so severe and long standing and affect Bynum even when he is "healthy" and on the court), and because Bynum doesn't put in 100% effort nor does he need to against the Nets. (again troubling.. wouldn't pride simply motivate him?)


4. City Preference

Though this would be specific to Orlando, Lopez loves Disney related things, is best friends with Ryan Anderson and would probably love to spend his entire career in Orlando. One recent report even said Lopez would welcome a trade to Orlando for those reasons.

I have no idea the preferences or wants of Bynum when it comes to team/market.

I admit, Bynum's potential is there (even though he is older than Lopez, and has been in the league twice as long), but trade value is much more than simply who is better.

I've been torn on Humphries the player over the years.  When he first arrived in NJ in trade, he was mostly an afterthought.  Before last season, I, like many, wished he would have opted out so we could have had enough cap space for 2 max free agents, and when he opted in (as expected) I was slightly annoyed. 

But something happening over the course of last season for Kris as a player and as a person.

On the court he became exactly what this team didn't have.. a tireless worker.  We always knew he could rebound like c razy, but what we didn't know was they he could play defense and throw down some insane dunks and highlights blocks along the way.

When Kris was healthy (which was until the end of the season) we were actually keeping even or slightly out rebounding our opponents.  That was remarkable given Lopez's numbers and the lack of rebounding from the PG-SF positions. After he went down, we got absoultely murdered on the glass and we ended up with a negative differential of one rebound per game.

In addition to the toughness down low, which made him the second best rebounder in the NBA (tied with Dwight, behind Love) on a per minute basis, Kris learned how to play within the offense.  Instead of forcing up circus shots, he was going for the put backs, dunks and shots within his range (for the most part), and he was doing it efficiently.

A once selfish player, was suddenly playing his heart out for a team coming off a 12 win season with rumors swirling non-stop where seemingly everyone was movable for Melo.

Something else happened off the court, as he was suddenly thrown into the celebrity spotlight by dating Kim.  While this seem liked an unlikely pairing, we gradually became used to the new couple, and he became slightly more comfortable with the attention as well.  Instead of letting this celebrity get to his head on the court, Kris continued to play some of his most inspired ball of the season.

Fast forward 9 months or so, and things have changed. Kris is technically not a Net, is about to be divorced, and a good friend of his just took him for hundreds of thousands of his dollars.  So what does this site do?  Not what I expected.  Instead of being someone sympathetic towards a player who gave us his all in his short time here, most posters are taking every opportunity to take shots at him as a player and as a person.

While I do feel bad for the guy, and realize he probably made some decision in his life that he regrets, I don't think our judgement of his personal situation should have much bearing on whether or not he should remain a member of the Nets.

But....For the right price he is EXACTLY what this team needs, ideally as a 3rd big man that can come off the bench and spell our starting PF and C.  He compliments Lopez to a T.  While Lopez has his shortcomings on the glass, Humphries is elite on the boards. While Lopez is not the best defender, Humphries doesn't shy away from defensive challenges and has proven he can also be a help defender.  We don't have another big man that can run on the break and finish passes like he can and we didn't have player that played as hard as he did last season.

Was last season a contract fluke?

I would like to think not.  It was his first year seeing significant minutes, in a setting where he didn't have to take every chance to shoot because Boozer or Bosh or whoever where ahead of him. He's always had excellent per minute rebounding numbers.  His shot selection improved dramatically, he looked to keep him self in the best condition he had ever been in, and he was willing to do what Avery asked of him.  He is only 26 years old, and maybe it just take him a little while to get it. And maybe a little confidence, in the form of KK, was what he needed.

Considering we should have a plethora of cap space, the ability to amnesty Outlaw, Jordan Williams is probably not ready to be a full time back-up, etc. I really think we need to look objectively at keeping Humphries, and as I've said, for the right price (under $6m) and the right circumstance (we sign Nene or Chandler as our starting PF) I think it would be the wise decision.

I've seen this on a couple sites so far where fans aren't going to attend any opening night games to send a message on national TV to the players and the owners, after being drug through this ordeal.

IMO it's not a bad idea and probably pretty easy to do given the extent of social media.

I for one would do it.

Has anyone else heard this rumor or think that is has a chance of actually happening?

Yes another thinly guised trade proposal.

Done under the premise Deron doesn't want to stay with NJ as he doesn't seem them as a contender. He is however willing to go to a team that he sees as having the pieces to win now, like Indy.

NJ trades:
D.Williams, T.Outlaw, J.Petro, J.Farmar, $6m Cash, #2
for
George, Collison, Posey, Rush, Price, Nocioni, Speights, IND #1

Collison / Price / Gaines
Morrow / Brooks / Rush
P.George / D.James / Posey
Speights / Nocioni
B.Lopez / J.Williams

-NJ makes no significant FA signings to preserve 2012 cap space

Philly trades:
Nocioni, Speights
for
Petro, $6m Trade Exception, $3m Cash, 2 #2

Holiday / L.Williams
Turner / Meeks
Iggy / (T.Young)
Brand / (T.Young) / Brackins
Vucevic / Petro

-Gets payroll down to about $48 to resign Thad and/or add a C
-Thorn revels in seeing his old team and Atlantic rival plummet in the standings after this trade, thinking for sure the Nets have screwed themselves and have no shot at attracting any FAs after this move.

Indy trades:
George, Collison, Posey, Rush, Price, $12m cap space, #1, #2
for
D.Williams, Farmar, Outlaw, $3m Cash

D.Williams / Farmar
Hill / Stephenson / D.Jones
Granger / Outlaw
(D.West) / Hansbrough
Hibbert

-Assumes D.Williams would extend with what could be a contender with a PF like D.West or Nene
-Keeps about $11m in cap space for said PF

NOW... fast forward to summer of 2012....
(assuming there was a season of sorts of 2011-2012 and those moves were doable)

The Nets shed all their expirers after a rough season, and end up with a top 5 or so pick.
They keep Lopez's rights and thus his 9.2m cap hold.

Collison (1.5m)
Morrow (4m) / Brooks (1m)
George (2.4m) / D.James (1.2m)
J.Williams (0.5m)
B.Lopez (9.2m)
+
'12 #1

~$23.5m in salary

Based on the current cap, that is about $35m in cap space, or just enough to 2 big time free agents.

The Nets sign out right:

Chris Paul
Dwight Howard

And roll with:

2012-2013 BK Nets
Chris Paul / Darren Collison
Anthony Morrow / MarShon Brooks
Paul George / Damion James
Dwight Howard / Jordan Williams
Brook Lopez
+
'12 NJ #1 (top 5?)
'12 HOU #1 (lotto prot.)
Rights to Bogdanovic


And while I realize many would be skeptical of a Brook/Dwight pairing, I personally think they would be near perfect compliments. Offensively Lopez can score inside or out, while both would thrive off the attention the other receives. Defensively both are long and can block shots, but with Howard's athleticism and speed, he would guard the better player or more perimeter oriented player (generally the PF) and be the best help defender there is. And if the pairing doesn't work? Bye, bye Brook. Either way the team above is nearly unbeatable.

NEW JERSEY NETS


Draft Picks/Trades
MarShon Brooks - Trade w/Boston of #27 (Jujuan Johnson) + 2014 #2 for the #25 pick.

Bojan Bogdanovic - Trade with Minny of 2013 #2* + Cash for the #31 pick.
(Will stay in Europe one year according to reports and then has a buyout)
*Debate of whether or not the 2nd rounder was sent to Minny

Jordan Williams - #36


Depth Chart
Deron Williams / Jordan Farmar / Sundiata Gaines*
Anthony Morrow / MarShon Brooks
Damion James / Travis Outlaw
Jordan Williams
Brook Lopez / Johan Petro

*Team Option likely to be picked up


Free Agents
Kris Humphries - 6.4m cap hold, expected to be resigned
Sasha Vuajacic - chance he could be brought back as Avery loves him
Brandon Wright - not expected back
Quentin Ross - not expected back
Dan Gadzuric - not wanted back
Ben Uzoh - not expected back
Mario West - not expected back
Stephen Graham - team option likely (and hopefully) decline


Cap Situation
~$41m in committed salary including:
Gaines' option being picked up
MarShon Brooks signed
Jordan Williams signed

~$17m in cap space based upon current cap ($58m)


Off-Season Plans
Kris Humphries will likely be resigned after the Nets make their other signings first, since his $6.4m cap hold is reasonable. Meaning the Nets will have roughly $11m to spend before signing Humphries assuming no other moves.

SF is the team's biggest need (more on that below), and an experienced SG may be targeted. Sasha is well liked and VC was a beloved Net.

Two names to watch:
Kirilenko has long been linked to the Nets because of the relationship he has had with Prokhorov for some time now. AK would will a major need at the 3, and added depth at the 4.

Thadeus Young was drafted by Billy King and he and Avery have sung his praises all season, calling him the Sixer's MVP. Another player who can play the 3 or 4.


If there is an Amnesty Clause
Do I need to state the obvious?
Travis Outlaw will be bought out in a heartbeat assuming teams under the cap are allowed to. He has 4 years and $28m left on his contract.


Players on the Block
Jordan Farmar - a great pick up when the Nets had Devin Harris because of his injuries and inconsistencies, but a luxury with Deron Williams in town and Gaines in tow.

Johan Petro - Two years and almost $7m left for 2nd/3rd string C who doesn't see much time behind Lopez. I can see NJ sending out cash to move him for an expirer like Nocioni, or adding more incentive for a TPE.

Everybody but Deron - If the player coming back is Dwight Howard.


Other Assets
2012 Houston #1 - Lotto protected through 2016
2012 Miami #2
Rights to Bogdanovic who should be in Europe one year


Debits
2013 #2 to Minny in the Bogdanovic trade - ? - there are conflicting reports online
2014 #2 to Boston in the Brooks trade

I ask this based upon Dwight saying he wants to be a FA. He hasn't signed an extension, and really only has until July 1st to do it under the old CBA.  If he doesn't, it shows he really isn't about the money, he's about winning, and he wants to be a free agent.

That said....we have about $19m in cap space for this off-season.

We would have to maintain all of that and then some to be able to sign Dwight outright AND keep Lopez.  Now there are a couple deals we can probably do to get some more cap space such as..

a. Farmar to Indiana Trade Exception and Lance Stephenson

b. Petro and $3m Cash to Philly for Nocioni

c. Pray for an Amnesty Clause to get rid of Outlaw.

That frees up about $14m in cap space, of which we could be able to spend on Humphries and account for Lopez' cap hold.

Summer 2012

Deron - $18m

Hump - $7m?

Lopez - $10m cap hold

Morrow - $4m

D.James - $1.5m

#27  - $1m

'12 #1 - $1.5m

That puts us around $43m and perhaps enough to sign Dwight outright.

(we may have to move Morrow or some smaller pieces)

Some expirers to consider:

VC, Foye, Hinrich, Rush, Pietrus, Posey, Nocioni, Barnes, Delfino, Dooling, Nate  Rob

Jamison, Diaw, Tolliver Okur, R.Lopez

An unimpressive list I know, but I only listed players that we would potentially have to give nothing of real value for, mainly because we can't keep them past 2012 if we want to afford Dwight. My question is, is it possible to make a team of these type players, stay competitive to appease Deron and keep a shot at Dwight as a free agent? Is it worth the risk?

2011 Roster post Salary Clearing Moves

D.Williams / S.Gaines / Stephenson

Morrow

D.James / Nocioni / #27

Humphries

Lopez / #36

~$40m in salary or ~$19m in cap space to fill up on expirers.

Do these moves and this team, keep us a playoff contender in 2011-2012 and then hopefully a Dwight contender the following year?

Pietrus + R.Lopez for $8m Trade Exception + HOU #1

Diaw for $9m Trade Exception

Tolliver for $2m TE + $3m Cash

2011-2012 Roster

D.Williams / Gaines / Stephenson

Morrow / Pietrus

D.James / #27 / Nocioni

Humphries / Diaw /  Tolliver

B. Lopez / R. Lopez / #36

All done for this....

2012-2013 Roster

D.Williams / '12 #2

Morrow / '12 #1

D.James / #27

B.Lopez / Hump

D.Howard / #26

I didn't put Hump in this category since I think he'll be looking for every penny he can after dropping $2.5m on a ring. If that's 2 months salary, we're in trouble. However he can still be retained fairly easily since we can go over the cap to sign him as long as we work around his $6.4m roster hold.

However... perhaps there are some players that would want to come back to NJ, D.Will or Proky to be part of something special entering Brooklyn.

AK - He has ties to Deron, ties to Proky and seems to be on his way out of Utah as they rebuild. The logic has been in place for a while, but the price has to be right.  I say offer him 4 years (4th year a team option) for $24m, or an average of $6m a year, starting at $5m in the 1st year and going up for 1/2 million increments.

K.Mart - He was are heart and soul and loves his time here.  After a less than perfect time in Denver, maybe he's welcome the trip back?  Denver seems to be rebuilding and there was a lot of back and forth of words between Kenyon and Denver.  Due his age, I would offer K.Mart 3 years $12m.

VC - Another relic from the past, except this time, he would have a much lesser role behind Morrow as our 6th man. VC had really fallen out of favor with Orlando and then Phoenix quickly, and I think others may have noticed.  Offer VC 3 years $10m and see if he takes it.

Hump - And finally, yes I do think we need to keep the Hump and I would be willing to give him 5 years $40m with a team option that last year. Front load the contract so it declines over the years, but sign him last after we use all our cap space.

Once all is said and done, we don't have a ton of youth from free agency but we have the proven vets that D.Will wants and will help us win.  We still have youthful assets (picks, Farmar, James, etc) for trading pieces, but just focuses on the summer, I think this if a good start.

Line - Up:

Deron Williams / Jordan Farmar / Sundiata Gaines

Anthony Morrow / Vince Carter / Marshon Brooks

Andrei Kirilenko / Damion James / Travis Outlaw

Kris Humphries / Kenyon Martin

Brook Lopez / Johan Petro / Nikola Vucevic

We've all heard the rumors that there may be an amnesty clause in the new CBA which would allow us to wipe one contract (Travis Outlaw) from our books all together.  Unlike the old Allan Houston rule, teams were allowed to waive a player, but their cap hold still applied, but they would not have to pay luxury tax on that salary.  In this situation, Travis Outlaw the player and the contract would be gone and we would theoretically have $7m more in cap space.

Now, wouldn't this hurt NJ, more than help?

Right now, we project to have about $18m in cap space, or more than any other teams except Sacramento, Indiana and Denver (if Nene opts out).  That's a good position to be in.

Now, say we waive Outlaw and end up with $25m.  Good, right?

Well... keep in mind other teams will be able to do the same thing, and a few things in particular can happen

a. Other teams will waive larger more burdensome contracts and possibly give themselves more cap space than NJ, or simply put themselves in a much better position than they were before.

b. Teams that may not have had cap space this summer, may be able to waive a large contract and all of a sudden be a major player in free agency, and a threat to us.

c. Teams that have free agents that we may want, all of a sudden can have much more room to retain those free agents.

For example....Philly

Philly has about $54m in salary committed next season, not including Thadeus Young. If they are able to dump Elton Brand's $18m, they are down to $36m in salary.  Now, not only are they able to keep Thad Young very easily, they still have plenty of money to spend in free agency.

Point is, while I'm not sure there will be an amnesty clause, or know how it will be set-up, I think it will be more advantageous to other teams than us, and may actually put us at a disadvantage relative to others.

I know this is very hypothetical given we don't know how things would have played out exactly, but say we ended up with the #3 pick in the draft had we not traded Harris and finished the season with the same record.  Who would you want to to draft at #3, or what would you want to do with the pick?

1. Draft BPA even if's Kanter

2. Trade up to get one of Williams or Irving

(Keep in mind this would probably require adding 2 or more of HOU #1, GS #1, LAL #1, D.James)

3. Trade down to fill more needs such as multiple picks to land SG + SF

4. Trade out of the draft for veteran help

5. Draft Harris' replacement such as Knight or Walker

6. Other

Just curious. I am glad in the position we are in right now, but I miss all the hype and build up of having a high pick in the draft.

The goals:

1. Make Deron happy by getting some quality players with experience.

2. Make this team a playoff team

3. Leave the door open for Dwight either via trade or next off-season.

NJ trades:
Farmar, Morrow, Outlaw, Petro, HOU #1, 2 #2, $9m Cash
for
S.Jackson, Jamison, Price/Stephenson

-Jackson looks to be a veteran player D.Will has been referring to. They desperately needs someone like him who can create his own shot
-Jamison is a serviceable back-up, but more importantly his massive expirer could come in handy later on
-Price or Stephenson are guard depth, and also traded by Indy to free up roster room for signings.


Indiana trades:
D.Jones, Price/Stephenson
for
Farmar, Petro, 2 NJ #2, $3m Cash

-Done if Indiana gets shut out in free agency
-Adds quality depth at PG with Farmar who can shoot and play the 2
-Petro would be only their 3rd big under contract
-Only uses about $3.5m of their cap space leaving them with ~$20m in cap space

Collison / Farmar / Price or Stephenson
George / Rush
Granger / Posey
Hansbrough
Hibbert / Petro
+
'11 #1
$20m in cap space


Charlotte trades:
S.Jackson, Diaw*, #2
for
Morrow, Outlaw, HOU #1, $3m Cash, $7m T

*assumes Diaw picks up his PO
-goes with the youth movement and gets rid of vets
-big savings leaving them with about $15M in cap space

Augustin / Livingston
Morrow / Henderson / Carroll
Outlaw / Najera
TyThomas / White
Diop


Cleveland trades:
Jamison
for
Diaw, D.Jones, CHA #2, $3m Cash, $3m TPE

-Adds depth on the wings
-Save some money both in salary and cash
-Creates another TPE

B.Davis / Sessions
D.Jones / Gibson
Diaw / Eyenga
Hickson / Harangody
Varejao /Samuels / Erden
+
#1
LAC #1

FA Signings

AK - 3/15
AK may be on his way out in Utah and the GM or owner has recently made statement regarding his concern signing a chronically injured player. AK has stated money is not that important and has ties to Prokhorov so this seems like a logical pairing.

Humphries - 4/32
NJ is able to go over the cap to sign Humphries because his cap hold was only $6.4m but they can sign him for more. Here they give him a fairly generous deal that they front load as much as possible to give him a declining contract that may be appealing in future trade.

Draft:
#27 - Best SG - Lee, Brooks, Mack
#33 - Best C - Vucevic, Benson

2011-2012 Roster
D.Williams / Gaines / Price or Stephenson
S.Jackson / #1 / Vet FA
AK-47 / D.James
Humphries / Jamison
Lopez / Vet FA / #2

Closer to the trade deadline, look to make a move for Dwight, centered around:

Lopez
Humphries
Jamison
D.James or LAL #1
'12 + '14 NJ #1

for

Howard
Turkoglu
Q.Rich

Even though Dwight probably prefers LA over any other destination, there is much more at play here than Dwight's wishes. Unlike the Melo situation, LAL cannot afford Dwight on their own in 2012. They would need to shed half of their payroll in order to afford Dwight, unless of course they think he would sign for the MLE.

Now, IMO two major things are being overlooked when everyone assumes LAL has the best package.

1. Orlando will want major financial savings.

Orlando has a payroll going into in 2011-2012 of about $76m or roughly $7m over the luxury tax or $18m above the salary cap.  Orlando has been willing to spend money in recent years because they have been a contender of sorts with one of the league's most popular players, however once they trade Dwight, that will change.

LAL can absorb extra salary in trade, but are limited by the 125% rule. LAL would have send out a lot of their contracts to get Orlando the savings they would want.  However, there are only so many players and contracts that Orlando would want, and LAL would not want to gut their team just to pair up Kobe and Dwight with no one else.

NJ on the other hand, if the deal is made this summer, can take on about $19m in extra salary since they will be well under the salary cap to help Orlando out and get them out from the luxury tax and under the cap if they wanted.  Not only would this save Orlando loads of money, it would also create a massive trade exception that they could use over the course of the next year to take players back from other teams in trade without sending out any salary or players.

2. Orlando already lost one franchise Center to the Lakers

And saw Shaq win title after title in LA, while Orlando had nothing to show for it.  Granted Shaq walked on his own, and in this case LAL would offer players back, but would Orlando want to see their 2nd best player in franchise history follow the path of their best player in franchise history and bring the same possible accolades to the same franchise?  It seems like this would be a slap in the face to the fans and a PR nightmare.

Just a few things to think about. 

I admit Dwight probably wants to go to LAL, and to a certain extent they can offer a great package in another conference, but I'm not sure Orlando can say no to the financial savings NJ can offer, nor can they say yes to the same team that stole their franchise player about a decade ago.

Two facts to start:

Nets will have about $18m in cap space based on the current cap.

Humphries has a $6.4m cap hold.

My questions:

1. Unless we "renounce" da Hump, we essentially have about $11.5m ($18m-$6.4m) in cap space to spend?

2. What is the point of a cap hold, if he is an unrestricted free agent?

3. What is the point of the cap hold if we are significantly under the cap?

4. Can we spend all of our open cap space ($11.5m) and then resign Humphries for more than $6.4m per year?

5. Can we spend all of our cap space all ($18m) and then resign Humphries? (I don't think so)

6. We have his Bird Right's, correct? If so, that means usually a team can over the cap to sign their own player, but how does it work in this situation, if we are under the cap anyway?

From what it seems, the best we can hope to do this off-season is spend $18m in free agency, Hump or no Hump.  If so, I don't understand the point of the cap hold. I see no difference either way if we renounce his hold or not.

What am I missing here?