RIP TO NJ (REAL RUMOR!!!!)

[Joe Berry]

i doubt this deal happens if Chauncey doesn't want to play for Jersey at all...

[bstein14]

I wonder if Billups didn't want to play for NJ... AND THEN NJ decided to try to get Rip also so that Billups would play for NJ.

Makes sense to me.

[thesack12]

^^^Perhaps, but everything I keep reading says Melo's camp is the instigator for wanting to include Rip......

As Carmelo Anthony demands the New Jersey Nets surround him with veteran talent as a condition for him to commit to a contract extension, his agent has been the driving force behind bringing Detroit Pistons guard Richard Hamilton into multiteam trade talks, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Anthony’s agent, Leon Rose, also represents Hamilton, and sources said he pushed Nets general manager Billy King to bring the Pistons into trade talks with New Jersey and the Denver Nuggets.

[sfballa13]

Chauncey is a such a spoiled little baby.

Dumars gives him a fat boy extension and trades him to his hometown team.

Now with one year left in his contract and with DENVER in control of his future he is saying he wont report to the Nets to play with his best buddy Rip, Melo, and Lopez

What a joke this guy is.

Im glad we traded Chauncey bc he is a baby and wasnt given his all. Both him and Rip are NOT PROFESSIONALS and we all knew this especially towards the end of the Pistons run when it looked like Chauncey was not giving his all. Now dont get me wrong he won us ALOT of games as a Pistons and alot of important games but there were countless games where stupid turnovers, jacked threes, and lack of effort put us OUT OF GAMES. Same goes for Sheed. The lazy, entitled attitude permeated throughout our whole team and I think had to do with the players lack of respect for the coach.

These guys are getting paid millions of dollars to play and they cant even just shut up and go do that.

Oh Chauncey is such a great guy and such a great professional!!!! that's what everyone says. Chauncey is UNDER CONTRACT and is NOT SOME YOUNG SUPERSTAR that can dictate where he goes. I hope he gets traded to a worse team then the Nets...PUNK

[Todd3]

Whats Chauncey thinking? He gets to go with Melo to his new team, AND gets reunited with Rip. Maybe he doesnt want to play wth Rip again?

That would be an instant contender with Chauncey and Rip in the backcourt Lopez in the middle AND Melo.

Their record would keep them from contending this year, but Denver isnt contending this year either.

Chauncey should just go play there for a few years and then he can go back home to Denver he retires.

[Spider156]

Whats Chauncey thinking? He gets to go with Melo to his new team, AND gets reunited with Rip. Maybe he doesnt want to play wth Rip again?

That would be an instant contender with Chauncey and Rip in the backcourt Lopez in the middle AND Melo.

Their record would keep them from contending this year, but Denver isnt contending this year either.

Chauncey should just go play there for a few years and then he can go back home to Denver he retires.

They still have half a season left and if we can still make the playoffs without being a contender then they should be able to too.

[BIG BEN'S FRO]

Man I haven't posted here in forever, but now that football season is over and we got some legit trade rumors, my interest has been rekindled.

A couple quick thoughts as you guys make your trade scenarios.

1. Devin Harris is pretty good, and has a decent contract. IMO he is a starting caliber PG on any team where he is not the best player.

2. We are not going to part with that pick. We are in a cold weather city with a decent market but nowhere near the pull of Chi or NY. No elite free agent is coming here. If we are going to get a superstar, it will only be through trade or the draft. It has never been otherwise for this franchise. That pick is probably our number asset at this point over any player on our roster.

3. Expirings are good, but only if used right. Many have alrady pointed out that acquiring a big expiring still wont put us in a position to notch a top guy. I would argue this is correct. I would be fine with getting a big expiring, but it would only be for the purpose of letting it expire and saving the cash. Our best moves have been done where we were a ton under the cap, and got decent players and draft picks to use that space. Getting a big expiring would also facilitate moving Tay for a player/picks and keeping the same payroll.

My thoughts on Stuckey are that he is a good player, but not a superstar. He has not shown that he is going to become one, and honestly not that much improvment overall when I watch him play. He needs the ball in his hands to produce anything, which just won't work with a superstar if we are playing to win a championship. IMO Harris is a complimentary piece on a championship caliber team and Stuck will remain a better player on a fringe playoff team, unless something changes. Unlikely...

[Piston Pete]

I say we counter Rip/1st with Rip and two 2nd rounders.....definitely not giving up a 1st. Also not very fond of the idea that we'd have to take on Petro and his contract.

[coordinator0]

http://twitter.com/WojYahooNBA

WojYahooNBA
Would Melo's agent work so hard to get Rip in deal, only have to client refuse $65M contract in NJ? Melo does waffle, but seems unlikely.

WojYahooNBA
There's momentum toward getting a deal done, because Denver's ready. "They're getting a lot of pressure from Melo's people," executive says.

WojYahooNBA
Detroit has leverage here, because Melo's agent is pushing Rip inclusion in bigger deal to NJ. Detroit may end up with a 1st out of deal.

WojYahooNBA
Nets no longer asking for Detroit 1st rounder and searching for another team to unload Petro on, sources say. Pistons want Murphy for Rip.

WojYahooNBA
Denver, N.J. and Detroit "progressing" on Melo blockbuster in talks Sunday, front office source says. Denver mining league for best offer.

I like this. That tweet saying we may even end up with a first just makes me LOL, but hey I'll take it .

[ParrottK]

Chris Broussard and Chad Ford are tweeting that NJ deal is getting a little closer to fruition. Broussard is tweeting that the NJ is backing off the 1st rounder for our part in the deal. So ultimately it would be Rip for Murphy and Petro.

Chris Broussard's Twitter (Newest tweets at top):

No guarantee Melo will sign off on deal. He's mum about that. NJ likes chances though.

NJ getting indications Melo sit-down with Mikhail Prokhorov and Jay-Z may not even be necessary to convince Melo to sign w/NJ.

Of course, Melo still has to sign off on all this & agree to ext with NJ, but NJ getting indications Melo's agreeable.....

Detroit's motivation is big $ savings - $25 million w/ out Petro , just $17 mill with him.

Detroit doesn't want Petro, so NJ currently trying to find landing spot for Petro. Detroit may eventually relent but rt now doesn't want JP

NJ wanting Det 1st round pick was deal-breaker, so NJ has backed off that. NJ now wants to send TMurphy & JPetro to Det for Rip.

Sources say NJ-Den-Det talks "further along" than any of other recent 3-team scenarios (Cavs, Twolves, Blazers) were.

Great, great news as far as I'm concerned. A little worried that he's not saying anything about the Billups situation. Hopefully Chauncey doesn't screw this up for us! (Though I guess I can understand him not wanting to go to NJ).

Edit: Bah, Coordinator0 beat me with the news, but at least we have confirmation that this is actually being heard by multiple individuals.

[ajaX82]

^ If the Nets have relented on the first and it is just Rip for Murphy and Petro, you have to do it. Absolutely must if we don't have to take on Petro.

Don't be a girl Joe, just pull the effing trigger

[thesack12]

I can see Joe's hangup with Petro. If you get JP and still have Max, that equals 8 mil of deadweight minimally useful bigs. And that scenario will exist for 2 more seasons after this one.

Besides, if Rip is as crucial to this deal as its percieved, there is no reason to take back crap if it isn't necessary.

[ComboGuardCity]

I am so giddy right now. Woj isn't reliable though

[Joe Berry]

One source said "tonight or tomorrow." Some things still need to be worked out, but it's picking up steam.

http://twitter.com/Al_Iannazzone/status ... 629882368#

all praise Leon Rose, he is working hard to get RIP to Jersey!

[ParrottK]

Obviously we don't want Petro. But I'd easily take on that contract if it looks like it'll be a deal breaker. Essentially he'll just perform the same role, that of an emergency big, on our team, taking over Wilcox's role. He's only 25, and a 7-footer. His contract isn't good, but it's not a back breaker either. Hopefully we'll be able to move Maxiell, but it's still better having Petro's contract in the next couple of years than Rip's.

[RustInPeace]

If this gets done then omg... this is amazing news. Definitely a step in the right direction.

[thesack12]

Obviously we don't want Petro. But I'd easily take on that contract if it looks like it'll be a deal breaker. Essentially he'll just perform the same role, that of an emergency big, on our team, taking over Wilcox's role. He's only 25, and a 7-footer. His contract isn't good, but it's not a back breaker either. Hopefully we'll be able to move Maxiell, but it's still better having Petro's contract in the next couple of years than Rip's.

True.....

But the point remains the same. No reason to take JP if it isnt necessary.

NJ has been coveting Melo and attempting to grab him for months now, and apparently this is the farthest along those talks have progressed. Plus they are desperate to keep him away from the rival Knicks. In addition, evidently whomever gets Melo will automatically become the leader in the clubhouse to get CP3 in 2012. So IMO I don't think Dumars not taking Petro will be a dealbreaker for NJ.

Myabe I'm wrong, or maybe JP is needed for salary send away purposes on the Nets side. I don't really know, just saying.

[the_l_train]

I wish there was some way to get the Clippers involved on this deal. Throw Detroit Kaman for Prince, maybe they will take Petro.

[princeofpalace]

I don't know why you would want to trade for an injured Kaman. He has pretty much shown that he is not a guy who can be trusted to be healthy. Id hate to get rid of Rip only to be saddled with Kaman.

[triplet1984]

If we could Troy Murphy's expiring for Rip without taking Petro... that would be gold. Considering how important Hamilton seems to be to the deal, I feel like if Joe does his job, we should be able to swing that.