From Chad Ford's Draft Notes Posted June 3rd

[Preludepunk27]

This should be the focus!

Miami Heat: We are continuing to hear that if the Bulls draft Derrick Rose with the No. 1 pick (which is looking more and more likely) they'll try to move the No. 2 pick for either a draft prospect like O.J. Mayo or a veteran point guard like T.J. Ford or Kirk Hinrich.


Of course, the Heat will want more than just a straight swap for giving up such a coveted pick. With so many teams in pursuit of a scoring forward like Michael Beasley, the Heat could really net a starter and a high pick or solid prospect. They could change their mind after Beasley comes in for workouts, but right now it's looking less likely that they'll draft at No. 2.

How can we get Beasley? Can we sell Williams off as a future all-star pg?
Would it help to take some of Miami's bad contracts...Blount or Banks?

We really need a guy like Beasley.......with Dev, RJ & Beasley. Lebron will come and replace VC.

They better be working the phones and tossing offers to Miami for that 2nd pick.

Only way anyone gets the #2 pick is if they either take Blount and Banks or Banks and Haslem. I'm not totally sure if the Heat would want to trade all the way down to 10 though unless a difference maker was coming to the team. They'd probably be interested in Williams but he's not sealing the deal. It doesn't seem like they are looking for a lot of young talent so probably only if we offered RJ/Williams/#10 for Haslem/Banks/#2. I'd rather hang myself than see Blount in a Nets uni. I really think they can get a better deal elsewhere though.

[lurkingobeiscity]

To those of you in favor of tanking, please remember that

A)Lebron James is not promised to come here

B)He won't come to a garbage team.

Tanking is fruitless. The Nets have pieces that need to BE moved and pieces that need to be surrounded with the proper fitting talent(big man that can score and defend, outside shooting, defense on the perimeter) i think Rich has a solid point that right now the team has no direction, i feel with some decent moves to change the make up of the team outside of Harris/Carter and possibly Sean(or Josh), the team will HOPEFULLY have some sense of direction(and identity...do we have the personnel to run? are we a half court grind it out squad? what???!) but right now, the roster is an absolute mess and tanking so we can stockpile a roster full of doo doo won't entice Lebron to come here.

BTW, a coaching change wouldnt hurt either

Everyone understands that Lebron is no guarantee at all. Lebron is just the biggest prize in what can be a great free agent period. For a team that is going nowhere right now, it makes perfect sense to rebuild, Lebron or no Lebron.

The goal isn't to tank. The goal is to rebuild the right way. Instead of remaining a borderline playoff team, and picking up prospects from just outside the lottery every year, the Nets should trade away their aging stars while they still have value, and build a team that is young and cap flexible. It is the only reliable way to create a new core.

The purpose wouldn't be to "stockpile a roster full of doo doo." This team has the assets to add top prospects in the next two years before the 2010 free agency period, but it needs to start in this draft. Again, that doesn't mean you trade everyone away for nothing and tank. You make trades that give you good value comprised of tangible young talent and short contracts.

[lurkingobeiscity]

Only way anyone gets the #2 pick is if they either take Blount and Banks or Banks and Haslem. I'm not totally sure if the Heat would want to trade all the way down to 10 though unless a difference maker was coming to the team. They'd probably be interested in Williams but he's not sealing the deal. It doesn't seem like they are looking for a lot of young talent so probably only if we offered RJ/Williams/#10 for Haslem/Banks/#2. I'd rather hang myself than see Blount in a Nets uni. I really think they can get a better deal elsewhere though.

Agreed, though I would absolutely love it if we could trade up with Memphis for Love.

[mack69]

Beasley would be great!!!!!!!!!!

[Serpo]

We can't get Beasley no way .

[Preludepunk27]

We can't get Beasley no way .

Agreed. If a western conference team had the #2 pick I think we'd have a better shot. the reasoning there is chances are (like Miami) they'd want a vet. RJ would be that vet. Personally the Nets only want to see him twice a year just like the team who traded the #2 pick would want to see Beasley only twice a year. Why would Miami want to see him in conference if RJ didn't work and we somehow got at least into playoff contention with Beasley. Pat Reilly would hang himself. He'd rather want to hang himself twice a year rather than 4 times. At least we're not the same division though lol.

I have faith in Thorn on trades, but getting up to #2 I think is too much to ask from the guy.

[MrDollarBills]

I'm all for rebuilding the proper way, but if the team isn't doing things to be competitive/become a contender in the next 2 years so a guy like LBJ will look at us and the core we have in '10 and think "Well, all they need is me there and we're going to be a legit contender", you can best believe he will look elsewhere. So will Wade, so will Bosh. So instead of planning on someone that isn't here, why not worry about who is here and what the front office can do with those pieces to put this team over the hump.

You don't base your roster plans around fantasy and baseless rumors, i'm all for Rod making sensible deals. Just because Jay Z is a minority owner on this team does not promise Lebron here, we don't even know for a fact that this guy will leave Cleveland, especially if Cleveland stays proactive in trying to get people around him. I'd be far more comfortable knowing that the GM is making moves to make sure we have the best team possible every season instead of making moves in -hope-(key word, HOPE) that Lebron James will decide to come to us.

As far as stockpiling prospects, i see no reason to do so unless its a move to get a solid balance of veterans and youth on the roster in hopes of being a contender, not just to attract Lebron James. I could care less about him to be honest.

[Rich Rane]

I'm all for rebuilding the proper way,

Welcome to the conversation.

but if the team isn't doing things to be competitive/become a contender in the next 2 years so a guy like LBJ will look at us and the core we have in '10 and think "Well, all they need is me there and we're going to be a legit contender", you can best believe he will look elsewhere. So will Wade, so will Bosh. So instead of planning on someone that isn't here, why not worry about who is here and what the front office can do with those pieces to put this team over the hump.

The thing is rebuilding the proper way can take more than two years. Many of the posters here are in support of rebuilding, but with the free agent class of 2010, it's hard not to think far away from them.

You don't base your roster plans around fantasy and baseless rumors,

Have you seen the trades proposed in blueprints and off media stories from JO and Melo?

i'm all for Rod making sensible deals. Just because Jay Z is a minority owner on this team does not promise Lebron here, we don't even know for a fact that this guy will leave Cleveland, especially if Cleveland stays proactive in trying to get people around him.

Agreed.

I'd be far more comfortable knowing that the GM is making moves to make sure we have the best team possible every season instead of making moves in -hope-(key word, HOPE) that Lebron James will decide to come to us.

Well, I hate to tell you this, but no...this never happens. Every team goes through a rebuilding stage so a fan can really never expect that the front office is doing everything to have the best team possible every season. Money plays a role and so do assets.

As far as stockpiling prospects, i see no reason to do so unless its a move to get a solid balance of veterans and youth on the roster in hopes of being a contender, not just to attract Lebron James. I could care less about him to be honest.

True, but you can't expect contention on the basis of expecting a trade. It's much better when you have the money to negotiate with a player and his agent instead of a player, his agent, and the team he currently plays for. Like I've said before, the NBA is a star's league. The thing that controls the star? Money. We don't have that. The only way we get that is through rebuilding. This isn't about LeBron, but what's best for the team even if it doesn't seem like it at the surface.

[MrDollarBills]

So, you are admitting that the team should just dump salary and wallow in the lottery, Lebron James or not?

If thats the best we can do, fine, lets rebuild, i have no problem in becoming younger and starting from scratch, but my point was that i felt it was stupid to shed salary and become a bottom feeding lottery team like the Grizzlies to try and attract Lebron James here when the guy will obviously want to play for a team that is already in place to make a finals push. Cap space does not automatically mean a superstar will sign on, there are three ATTRACTIVE names available in 2010 and i doubt any of them would sign on to us if we are still terrible by then...

[MrDollarBills]

Rich, you are right...this team has no solid, concrete direction...this is why i am hellbent on hoping rod makes another solid trade to put some things into perspective.

[Rich Rane]

So, you are admitting that the team should just dump salary and wallow in the lottery, Lebron James or not?

In all simplistic terms, yes. It's much better than to rebuild with high lottery picks and money to burn than what we currently have, mid 1sts, and penny pinch.

If thats the best we can do, fine, lets rebuild, i have no problem in becoming younger and starting from scratch, but my point was that i felt it was stupid to shed salary and become a bottom feeding lottery team like the Grizzlies to try and attract Lebron James here when the guy will obviously want to play for a team that is already in place to make a finals push. Cap space does not automatically mean a superstar will sign on, there are three ATTRACTIVE names available in 2010 and i doubt any of them would sign on to us if we are still terrible by then...

You're right that they probably wouldn't want to come if we were terrible by then, but once again, I know your point in that 2010 class, but I'm not advocating that we only target those guys. I will say again that when you can offer a free agent any amount he desires, even if it means overpaying, he and (sometimes more importantly) his agent will definitely listen.

Rich, you are right...this team has no solid, concrete direction...this is why i am hellbent on hoping rod makes another solid trade to put some things into perspective.

The thing is that now is our best chance of trading any of our big pieces. Carter, RJ, and Harris and a bunch of small tweaks, plus MLE signings and mid level draft picks aren't going to work now and they aren't going to work in the future. Talent wise, this may be our best chance to dangle VC and RJ and let them hang on the trading block for some young pieces. We can't always count on Thorn to make the big trade to push us to contention or at this stage, division contention.

[lurkingobeiscity]

So, you are admitting that the team should just dump salary and wallow in the lottery, Lebron James or not?

For a team that is going nowhere right now, it makes perfect sense to rebuild, Lebron or no Lebron.

If thats the best we can do, fine, lets rebuild, i have no problem in becoming younger and starting from scratch, but my point was that i felt it was stupid to shed salary and become a bottom feeding lottery team like the Grizzlies to try and attract Lebron James here when the guy will obviously want to play for a team that is already in place to make a finals push. Cap space does not automatically mean a superstar will sign on, there are three ATTRACTIVE names available in 2010 and i doubt any of them would sign on to us if we are still terrible by then...

You seem to have this idea that we will purposely become a bottomfeeder for years to come. No one wants to become the Grizzlies and the Nets never will as long as Thorn/Ratner are here. The Grizzlies are screwed because of their ownership and management. The idea is to trade our established players for top young talent, guys that can become cornerstones for the future. The Nets did exactly that with the Kidd deal.

Again, this isn't about Lebron, he is just the best case scenario. This is about the core we have right now not being able to put us over the top, so we need to develop a new core.