Nets almost dealt Carter to Cleveland....

[jeff1624]

Mid-afternoon yesterday, as the Richard Jefferson deal was being packaged, the Cavaliers called the Nets. If you’re in a fire sale mode, how about Wally (Expiring Contract) Szczerbiak for Vince Carter? The Nets kicked it around but then declined … perhaps because if they had, the only fans at IZOD would have been friends and families of the Chinese ambassador to the UN. But, oh, the cap space.

www.netsdaily.com


If they would have thrown in their 19th pick I would have thought about it, but, I agree it would have been a dumb move business wise..

[Serpo]

I've wrote in in the RJ trade tread my little conspiracy theory is that the Nets are sabotaging the Cavs on purpose . The RJ , Simmons Yi trade wasn't great value but more importantly it killed the idea the Cavs could get Michael Redd from Millwaukee and get better.

[RamonSessions]

I've wrote in in the RJ trade tread my little conspiracy theory is that the Nets are sabotating the Cavs on purpose . The RJ , Simmons Yi trade wasn't great value but more importantly it killed the idea the Cavs could get Michael Redd from Millwaukee and get better.

Spot on, however Hammond wouldn't bite on that Cavs/Mike Redd deal stuff floating around- they've got nothing to offer, and he wouldn't accept nothing. Well played on NJ's half still.

[Adam1221]

I've wrote in in the RJ trade tread my little conspiracy theory is that the Nets are sabotaging the Cavs on purpose . The RJ , Simmons Yi trade wasn't great value but more importantly it killed the idea the Cavs could get Michael Redd from Millwaukee and get better.

Hmmm that actually does make a lot of sense tbqh.

Anyway my opinion on this thing
I dont think this has anything to do with value.
Look the Nets made it clear last night that they are looking to build a team around a dream that Jay-Z will bring Lebron here in 2010 I think its absurd but what does my opinion count for?
This dream is built around 2 major bases 1)will the Nets move to Brooklyn in time for the 2010 FA class? and 2)Will Cleavland be able to get Lebron a decent supporting cast before he becomes a FA?
If the answers to 1 and 2 are yes and no than even a sceptic like me will admit that the Nets will have a solid chance to snag Lebron otherwise its not happening.
Vince Carter will be more than a solid backup parthner to Lebron and pairing them up will be more than enough to kill the Nets odds of snagin Lebron.

[m23uza1hem36]

Wally for VC?
How stupid could that be....
Make's one team the champions, the other, worse shape then they ever were.

[VCRJKidd15]

i would have punched myself if this went trough

[Birth of the Cool]

As a VC fan part of me would have loved to see him play with LeBron.

but really the only other team I prefer to see VC with other than the Nets is the Raptors and since that's not happening I hope VC will come into this rebuilding situation with a good head on his shoulders.

On one hand he only has (likely) a few years left of being an impact player and he may have a desire to play for a contender, but on the other hand he does seem to enjoy teaching younger people (be it his summer camps, working out with Wright, talking to SWat etc alot during games).

It's likely this is gonna be a rough year but I'm hopeful VC comes in with a good attitude the whole season & maybe these young Nets led by VC can (love the underdog I do) shock the NBA world.

In any case, it will be much more fun (at least for me) watching a VC oriented team with a bunch of young horses even if they struggle, as long as I see real effort & the promise of these young guys developing into a good team/good players then I'll be happy.

[Manny Phresh]

Yeah, sometimes I think our GM has the brains of a three year old. Clearly the man still has something to offer if your trading for him. When I read the article I was like, "Man, you got to be kidding me. Even I would've turned that down." But seeing as we can't offer you anything else. (We needed to keep our pick since AV is on his way out) You guys have enough front court depth now and plus AV will never be on the same team with Yi because they same agent and AV is trying to cash ona payday. I guess the only thing we could offer was an expiring. But like I said, even I would've turned the deal down. But I will guarantee you this, LeBron will stay in Cleveland.

[SPREEDOG]

What's good Manny? That's a freash Avatar.

But there are two small problems in your reply and this thread in general.

1) The Nets could have done more. Cleveland offered Wally Szczerbiak for Vince Carter in what would have been a straight salary dump. It never went anywhere.

2) I'm friends with someone very close to LeBron. He isn't definitely coming to NJ. But, he is definitely leaning towards leaving Cleveland. Will it be for greener pastures for the new arena in Brooklyn? No one can say. But, there is a good chance of that happening. If you know Rod Thorn you must know that he always has a plan. Jay-Z aside who wouldn't want to play in Brooklyn in a brand new arena, with a very talented young team (in the year 2010 the Nets will be pretty damn solid), going to a different city environment at the hub of the world (NYC - east coast area), all while getting a nice kickback in endorsement contracts and such (probably $20-30 million). Imagine if it was just an extra $20 million. Can you fathom how much you can buy or invest with that cash? It doesn't take a CASH MONEY MILLIONAIRE to figure that ish out.

[Preludepunk27]

What's good Manny? That's a freash Avatar.

But there are two small problems in your reply and this thread in general.

1) The Nets could have done more. Cleveland offered Wally Szczerbiak for Vince Carter in what would have been a straight salary dump. It never went anywhere.

2) I'm friends with someone very close to LeBron. He isn't definitely coming to NJ. But, he is definitely leaning towards leaving Cleveland. Will it be for greener pastures for the new arena in Brooklyn? No one can say. But, there is a good chance of that happening. If you know Rod Thorn you must know that he always has a plan. Jay-Z aside who wouldn't want to play in Brooklyn in a brand new arena, with a very talented young team (in the year 2010 the Nets will be pretty damn solid), going to a different city environment at the hub of the world (NYC - east coast area), all while getting a nice kickback in endorsement contracts and such (probably $20-30 million). Imagine if it was just an extra $20 million. Can you fathom how much you can buy or invest with that cash? It doesn't take a CASH MONEY MILLIONAIRE to figure that ish out.

Yeah I agree right now he's probably leaning toward Cleveland. He still is incredibly marketable based on the fact HE IS Lebron James. I think from the Nets standpoint we need to make all the necessary moves now to keep that option alive though. A lot of us on the board kind half laugh it off/half hope he comes but you never know. His decision is still 2 years down the road. A lot can happen in that time frame for him and also for us. It's really the journalists that blow it out of proportion. I think for the most part, as time has gone on, us Net fans have a more realistic view of the situation. I just giggle at how much it's covered in the media.

[L&H_05]

2) I'm friends with someone very close to LeBron. He isn't definitely coming to NJ. But, he is definitely leaning towards leaving Cleveland. Will it be for greener pastures for the new arena in Brooklyn? No one can say. But, there is a good chance of that happening. If you know Rod Thorn you must know that he always has a plan. Jay-Z aside who wouldn't want to play in Brooklyn in a brand new arena, with a very talented young team (in the year 2010 the Nets will be pretty damn solid), going to a different city environment at the hub of the world (NYC - east coast area), all while getting a nice kickback in endorsement contracts and such (probably $20-30 million). Imagine if it was just an extra $20 million. Can you fathom how much you can buy or invest with that cash? It doesn't take a CASH MONEY MILLIONAIRE to figure that ish out.

Probably those same players that have never flocked to NYC to play for the Knicks in the last 30 years... There's way to much being overblown about all of this to even make any sense whatsoever...

1st, c'mon, does anyone truly believe a minority owner of a franchise has a ton of pull ?? The Jay-Z angle is something that I can't wrap around... He's owns such a small share of the Nets, and has no real say within the organization... He's just a hood ornament for the franchise...LeBron is friends with him, but that doesn't mean he's leaving... Do you know how many friends and more importantly family LBJ has in hometown ???

2nd, Forget Cleveland, LeBron is not leaving Akron Ohio.. I don't think anyone on this board, or the Knicks board can truly grasp how many friends and family LBJ has in that area, that comes down to hang with him on game days, and gets to see him play only 30 minutes from their and his hometown...LeBron is in Akron on everyone of his off days... New Jersey, Brooklyn are nice and all, but for LeBron James, the one thing neither of those locations will ever be is Akron... The kid is building a monster home outside of that area that is not due to completion until fall 2009-- that doesn't seem like someone who is set on leaving or spending half his time in Brooklyn..

3rd, The Cavs, starting this summer with the 25-30 million or so coming off the books, and next summer with close to the same amount coming off the books should be in a much better situation in terms of basketball stability with the roster to put a championship caliber team around LBJ so he can win a title within the next two years and be challenging for championships within the next 3-4 years after... Going to the Knicks, or Nets is something that is just going to just keep pushing that back further and further for him, and after being in the league for 7 seasons, I don't think he's looking to just start over...

Look, maybe LBJ wakes up one day and says: "F-it, I'm out of here"--- But, as of now, I see absolutely not one shred of evidence that suggests LeBron James is leaving the Cavaliers outside of articles that say he "could"...

[Preludepunk27]

2) I'm friends with someone very close to LeBron. He isn't definitely coming to NJ. But, he is definitely leaning towards leaving Cleveland. Will it be for greener pastures for the new arena in Brooklyn? No one can say. But, there is a good chance of that happening. If you know Rod Thorn you must know that he always has a plan. Jay-Z aside who wouldn't want to play in Brooklyn in a brand new arena, with a very talented young team (in the year 2010 the Nets will be pretty damn solid), going to a different city environment at the hub of the world (NYC - east coast area), all while getting a nice kickback in endorsement contracts and such (probably $20-30 million). Imagine if it was just an extra $20 million. Can you fathom how much you can buy or invest with that cash? It doesn't take a CASH MONEY MILLIONAIRE to figure that ish out.

Probably those same players that have never flocked to NYC to play for the Knicks in the last 30 years... There's way to much being overblown about all of this to even make any sense whatsoever...

1st, c'mon, does anyone truly believe a minority owner of a franchise has a ton of pull ?? The Jay-Z angle is something that I can't wrap around... He's owns such a small share of the Nets, and has no real say within the organization... He's just a hood ornament for the franchise...LeBron is friends with him, but that doesn't mean he's leaving... Do you know how many friends and more importantly family LBJ has in hometown ???

2nd, Forget Cleveland, LeBron is not leaving Akron Ohio.. I don't think anyone on this board, or the Knicks board can truly grasp how many friends and family LBJ has in that area, that comes down to hang with him on game days, and gets to see him play only 30 minutes from their and his hometown...LeBron is in Akron on everyone of his off days... New Jersey, Brooklyn are nice and all, but for LeBron James, the one thing neither of those locations will ever be is Akron... The kid is building a monster home outside of that area that is not due to completion until fall 2009-- that doesn't seem like someone who is set on leaving or spending half his time in Brooklyn..

3rd, The Cavs, starting this summer with the 25-30 million or so coming off the books, and next summer with close to the same amount coming off the books should be in a much better situation in terms of basketball stability with the roster to put a championship caliber team around LBJ so he can win a title within the next two years and be challenging for championships within the next 3-4 years after... Going to the Knicks, or Nets is something that is just going to just keep pushing that back further and further for him, and after being in the league for 7 seasons, I don't think he's looking to just start over...

Look, maybe LBJ wakes up one day and says: "F-it, I'm out of here"--- But, as of now, I see absolutely not one shred of evidence that suggests LeBron James is leaving the Cavaliers outside of articles that say he "could"...

a) Don't ever EVER compare a Nets fan to a Knicks fan. It's like night and day.

b) 99% of us consider Lebron coming here a pipe dream. We joke about it every now and then but nobody is like "Yes...Lebron WILL BE a Net in 2010. Don't make our fans out to be complete idiots.

c) Just food for thought. How many superstars play in their hometown? Yes, Lebron may be family oriented more than the average superstar, but that doesn't guarantee him to stay and it's not really a realistic outlook on this situation. He'll go/stay where he feels he can a) win a championship and b) provide the best future for his family. The part B may involve not living where you grew up. Just food for thought.

d) The media blows this out of proportion...not Nets fans.

e) with all that said, you were spot on though with that last comment.

[MrDollarBills]

I find it disturbing that the front office is basing their roster moves on pure and utter fantasy.

[Preludepunk27]

^^^^^ it's not pure fantasy. They have a business plan and are looking to keep their options open. That's not fantasy, that's setting a good business strategy. I'm sure if something came up they couldn't refuse (see: rumored talks about Melo), they would do what they felt was best for the franchise. As of right now, nothing like that is coming so the next logical thing is to plan for the future a few years down the road. It's basically the same thing that Portland did...only Portland drafted incredibly well the past couple years and don't really need the cap space thanks to it.

[MrDollarBills]

I'd be comfortable knowing that Rod is working to make the best moves available to make the roster beter in the present instead of worrying about 2 years from now.

The cap space is great, but what happens if Cleveland handles their business and that team is a Legit contender by 2010 or perhaps next year?

I'm just hoping eggs aren't being put into one basket here, thats all i'm saying...there have been teams with a boatload of capspace that ended up looking foolish when their foray into the FA Market failed to land them any superstars.

[Preludepunk27]

I'd be comfortable knowing that Rod is working to make the best moves available to make the roster beter in the present instead of worrying about 2 years from now.

The cap space is great, but what happens if Cleveland handles their business and that team is a Legit contender by 2010 or perhaps next year?

I'm just hoping eggs aren't being put into one basket here, thats all i'm saying...there have been teams with a boatload of capspace that ended up looking foolish when their foray into the FA Market failed to land them any superstars.

Eh remember Lebron isn't the only big name guy that offseason. If we can land a superstar now, I think Thorn will pull the trigger. But honestly, I'd rather plan for 2010 but keep our options open. I'd hate for them to do something rash to try to stay competitive and screw any chance of a future. If something comes along, great that's awesome. If not, we'll have 2 more lottery picks the next 2 years (possibly 3 if Dallas doesn't get their act together) and a lot of other young valuable assets. Maybe by 2010 we can resemble the Blazers or the old baby Bulls which I think would be extremely enticing to any big free agent.

[MrDollarBills]

I'm sorry, a team that has been wallowing in the lottery for two years is not going to entice any big names....


I'll keep my fingers crossed

[Preludepunk27]

I'm sorry, a team that has been wallowing in the lottery for two years is not going to entice any big names....


I'll keep my fingers crossed

So I guess that makes Golden State not a prime location to anyone either. If we have the cap space, the ability to make the player move money thanks to being in a major market, and make them feel as if they were "the final piece" to take us to the next level, someone would most certainly be very interested in us. Even if we were lottery teams the next two years, you never know how our guys are gonna develop. If we resemble this years Hawks after the 2009-2010 season (JJ = Vince, Harris = Bibby and so forth down the line) are you telling me a legit player would not be excited about rolling in to Brooklyn as our free agent splash for the summer.

I'm not saying by lottery I mean "a #1 pick" but if we barely missed the playoffs or squeeked in as the 8 seed and turned some heads in round one, we can get a guy who would think that he's the one to bring it all together. We don't have to be a solid playoff team, but enough to intrigue someone to play their prime years with us.

[SPREEDOG]

Ok, I was the first one to say we need to relax with this LeBron stuff. But, I just got off the phone with one of his relatives today. He wasn't totally straight forward. But, he made it seem like LeBron is not happy right now. He adores Jay-Z and Brooklyn. The Nets happen to have both of them on their side. The Nets have an opportunity to make a play at him. No other team as both of those assets. If they Nets are competitive in 2010 and LeBron does not get that Elton Brand or Michael Redd and Shawn Marion on his squad then he is out. No offense to Cleveland fans but let's be realistic. The superficial incredibly rich NBA players would choose a team on a coast over a team in the middle of the country any day if that team on the coast had a brighter future, a new arena, and a huge kick back in endorsement dollars.

Let's just see what happens. But, the Nets are definitely the front runners out of the other 27 teams right now.

[Preludepunk27]

I'm trying to stay realistic and not believe Lebron is a lock for Brooklyn in 2010. I just love Cleveland fans yapping about the fact that all Lebron's friends live around him and he's close to Akron and he just built that huge house and whatnot. Do they realize that not ever NBA player lives in the area they actually play for. Hell RJ has like a penthouse or something in Jersey he chills in for the season, then like the day after the season ends bounces to Cali and Arizona till training camp starts. Same with Vince going down to Florida. They come back to Jersey when they have to, but I just love Cleveland fans making that argument.

Honestly though, we've been hearing about Lebron to Brooklyn since he signed his current deal. I'm pretty tired of hearing it...and it's only gonna get worse over the next 2 years.