I had this rather bizarre idea about trading for Vince Carter - hear me out - and how picking up the team option for $18,000,000 allows us to sign Dwight Howard.

This trade is unlikely to happen and i'm not a huge VC15 fan but i want to float this idea.

Phoenix trades Vince Carter to the New Jersey Nets

New Jersey trades Anthony Morrow ($4 million), Jordan Farmar ($4 million), Johan Petro ($3,250,000), Travis Outlaw ($7 million). New Jersey also adds $3 million - or most allowed in each trade. 

However, Phoenix might not be keen to do this trade as they take on considerably more salary and they are a cost conscious franchise. Yet for an expiring contract which Phoenix would pay the $4 million buy out fee the Suns get a great three point shooter in Morrow, a decent back up point guard, a big body in Petro and a three/stretch four in Outlaw plus some of Prokhy's millions.

There are other ways to consummate the trade adding in Damon James and another $3 million in cash for Robin Lopez giving the Suns more cash.

The Nets could do this trade because it brings back a fan favourite for the final season in New Jersey and it also gives the Nets $18 million in cap space in the summer of 2012 which is when Dwight Howard is a free agent. This means the Nets could spend all the cap space this summer and then be able to acquire D12 without giving up anything valuable.

Or you could trade Howard for Carter's expiring contract and draft picks.

I don't expect this trade to be taken seriously but I think we would all agree we wouldn't be giving up too much apart from Morrow in this trade. While bringing Carter back could be a great thing for MarShon Brooks as VC15 could mentor him. 

Al Horford signed a 5 year $60 million contract extension with the Atlanta Hawks. This move is a great price to pay for an impressive big man. However,  its going to affect what the Hawks do for the next half-decade and must be viewed in the context of the disastrous $124 million contract they gave 29-year-old Joe Johnson just a few months ago. Atlanta is going to be up to the luxury tax level with no ability to manoeuvre or sign new players or even resign Jamal Crawford. The Hawks have $64.4 million committed to eight players next season.

There is speculation that the Hawks will look to trade Josh Smith - just speculation at this point. But if the Hawks are looking to do this or give themselves financial flexibility then they are looking for an expiring contract (among other assets).  The Nets could see over the next few months what their squad is looking like and whether trading Murphy's expiring contract for Josh Smith would improve the franchise. Clearly there are a lot of what ifs but if Melo doesn't end up on the Nets then i could see it is possible that Josh Smith joins the Nets instead.

What do other people think?

The Nets should think about trying to trade for OJ Mayo who i think is a complete all round player. He could come in as our SG and has great ball handling skills too. If the team is not convinced on TWill then i could see the Nets propose a trade including CLee and TWill for OJ Mayo as Mayo is going to be due a huge contract soon which the Grizzlies are unlikely to want to pay after investing so heavily in Rudy Gay. So the offer of two young back court players on longer contracts who both play solid D could make this trade happen. I think OJ Mayo could become a star, we have an owner who would be prepared to pay and Mayo is young, adding him to our young core would make us contenders in the next few years for sure.

Does anyone think the Nets would be in a better (long term) position if the Nets had signed Amar'e and Joe Johnson and to the same contracts which they have agreed spending $220 million for two players over the next six years. 

It would have proved the MP has the millions to spend and it would have likely made us a play off team next season but a few years down the line we would have had two of the worst contracts in the league.

The reason i ask this is because this is what so called insider and "expert" Chad Ford predicted. Look how far off he was in his predictions from last week

Chad Ford, ESPN Insider:  I did this a few weeks ago, it's constantly changing. Just today I've had good sources persuasively tell me LeBron's going to: Miami, NJ, Chicago, back to Cleveland. All four are guys I trust. It's almost like his camp is deliberately giving out conflicting info.

Here's my informed speculation as of today:

LeBron and Joe Johnson in Chicago
Wade and Bosh in Miami
Amare and Gay in NJ
Dirk in Dallas
Boozer in NY
Lee in Utah

I would not be surprised if you told me that LeBron, Wade and Bosh had planned this summer's outcomes months ago. In this age of controlling the media and aggressive PR tactics it would be no shock if the big three had decided how the summer plays out well in advance. Bosh was always likely to go to Miami (it was his first choice as a city) and Wade is Miami - he wasn't going to ever leave for the Bulls, he has one championship with Miami and he wants more.

It seems a little odd that ESPN would agree to give LeBron a one hour special unless he had decided well in advance what he was going to do. With the announcement of the one hour special it seems LBJ has now decided where he will be playing next season. But his narcissism, and that is what this is means he can't just announce it like everyone else - it has to be a big event - to what announce he is going to stay with the same team? Or to move to New York City? 

I think this is the last option. Maverick Carter seems to have won the battle against World Wide Wes for control of LeBron's future as Carter is responsible for the ESPN special. World Wide Wes who seemed so powerful a few months ago (remember the dream ticket of Calipari and LBJ?) is no longer in the headlines. Wes was allegedly going to deliver LBJ to Chicago this summer. How does that seem to have turned out for them?

Carter winning control of his best friend's destiny is likely to signal the fact LeBron returns to the Cavs. But LeBron has recently started Twitter and has a new website, does that mean he is looking to the future and deciding New York City is the only place for him.

Perhaps it was part of LBJ's demands that Carter become GM of the team and Rod said he couldn't accept that so is retiring. I know its super unlikely but its an explanation.  

Can someone suggest what the Cavs will be pitching to LBJ? I think the Cavs are going to be at a disadvantage because all the other franchises are going to come in and sell the dream to LBJ and then his current team will have to make their pitch. I understand they are in a different position than the teams which are attempting to recruit James. But from a business and a basketball perspective what will the Cavs be selling him apart from loyalty and bringing a championship to his home state - which looks difficult to do with so many other competitive teams.

Lets hear some opinions.

I live in London and will be going to the Nets games. I have been a NBA fan for almost 20 years and coverage of the league in England has been mixed at best over the last two decades from zero tv coverage in some years to multiple games a week in other years. The Nets games in London will be played at the o2 arena, the most upmarket arena in Europe. This is where Led Zepplin played their one off reunion/charity gig a couple of years ago. Prince played a 21 night residency here with every night sold out, I went twice! The o2 arena has held pre-season games here the last few seasons with I believe the Lakers, Bulls, Jazz and the Nets playing. Everygame has been sold out. The NFL plays a London based game at Wembley Stadium (82,000) each season and sells out. I went to the Patriots vs Bucs game last season and the atmosphere was great. The only thing I am not looking forward to is the price of the tickets, they will be so expensive! But it will be worth seeing my Nets in my home city! I started following the Nets seriously following the Jason Kidd acquisition and have stuck with them through thick and very thin! Let the good times roll by Yi Of Little Faith on Jun 18, 2010 1:38 AM PDT via mobile

The surprise coach candidate is LeBron. Let me explain to you why - he has such huge power and influence that he has been able to make this summer's free agency talked about for over two years with websites and tv channels devoting huge amounts of time, space and resources. Our new owner MP is going to try something to get LeBron here for the Nets and I believe it is this: Make LeBron coach - there is no salary cap on how much a franchise can pay a coach. Therefore MP can award LeBron a five year $250 million contract which is fully guaranteed. This is double what he could earn through a max extension. But when the season starts he resigns as coach and signs with the Nets for the veterans minimum and joins the Nets as a player while the Nets have been able to load up on other free agents. And hire PJackson or Avery as the coaching consultant.

Lebron gets his dollars (the richest contract ever), plays on a winning side and the NYC market.

Now of course i am joking and not being serious but i don't believe this scenario has been considered.

This is one major loophole which I don't think the NBA could plug in time. There does not seem to be anything illegal in doing this possibly against the spirit of the game but I just wanted to start a discussion. 

I wouldn't be surprised if the NBA adopts the rule from MLS about being able to pay one designated player a salary which doesn't fit count against the cap. This is the future for the top players.

Rubio says he is gaining vital experience at Barcelona (where he will have won three trophies by the end of the season) and won't come to the NBA until 2011 - and that he is open to playing for a different team. So I think we see how draft night shakes out and worry about Rubio later - and then focus the Nets energies on free agency. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AgYcHlnuJXwHoGwlHPbRN3e8vLYF?slug=ap-rubio-timberwolves But I still believe that MP is going to want to make a splash and attempt to sign a big name or two - but he also won't spend max money on second tier free agents. He didn't become a top international businessman by overpaying the market value for assets.

A question which I don't know the answer to - perhaps someone has an understanding and could enlighten me. in the unlikely event that the Nets trade the 3rd pick straight up for the rights to Ricky Rubio would Rubio's rights count against our cap at free agency (if he wasn't signed)?  Say the 3rd pick will earn 3 million in the first year, if we don't have Rubio signed by 1st July does this then give the Nets an extra 3 million or so to lure free agents?

I know its unlikely to happen but perhaps 3rd pick and Dallas pick for rights to Rubio and the 16th pick could be agreed on. But they would have to be very optimistic they would get two high profile free agents in July.

At which point they oould sign Rubio?