RealGM

Just a thought (and possibly one that's been posited repeatedly here--I haven't been as up on the boards as I should...)

We're clearing cap room and shortening contracts to make a run at some FA's in 2010. But so is everyone else, many of which are far more desirable than Minnesota for a ball player to come to. So should we trade away our flexibility to help someone else in the LeBron/Wade/Bosh sweepstakes?

We might be able to net someone like Devin Harris from New Jersey (Harris + one of Boone/Williams/Lopez for Foye and expirings); we could snag or a guy who's going to resign for just less than a max contract (S&T for Shawn Marion?).

I think it's more realistic to think we can pick up a piece through trade for our well-timed expirings than convince a team-changer to sign with us...

Anyone else?

You are right that it is more likely to pick up a good player with a trade than in FA.

I doubt this player will be Harris. I mean they send Kidd to Dallas for Harris and the way Harris is playing right now he proves that it was the right decision. Harris is one of the players the Nets want to build their team around. Why should LeBron go to a team with no good point guard?
It is much more likely for us to get Vince Carter than Devin Harris cause Carter is getting old.

Anyway even without a big FA in 2010 the Nets will be a team-to-watch the next years...

They have some nice players...

Harris
VC/ CDR
Ryan Anderson
Yi J.
Boone/Lopez

This team will actually be quite good without LeBron...only thing they need to add is a real SF...like LeBron ^^ and they will be contenders for years...

By the way...I really like what Brook Lopez is doing over there...he is putting up nice numbers with almost 10 ppg and 7 rpg in 26 min....if we would have traded away Mayo for him we would at least have had a real C.