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February 19, 2009
If Carter era is over, does Harris era begin?
The Nets Insider
by Al Iannazzone
Vince Carter and his big salary still belong to the Nets, but the NBA trading deadline is still a bit more than two hours away.
Carter could stay in New Jersey or could wind up back here in Dallas, or in the Pacific Northwest with Portland or in Cleveland. It all depends on what owner Bruce Ratner decides about the current state of the Nets' economy.
It's not good. We all know that. But the Nets are not alone. The NBA had to borrow $175 million to help teams losing money and you can bet the Nets are one of them. So it's not as if it's any surprise that this team is hurting financially.
...So what's next? It's up to the Nets' owners.
Do they want a competitive team? (That was hard to type with a straight face since the Nets have lost the last four games by a total of 73 points.) Or do they deal Carter for salary relief and play in front of a mostly empty Izod Center? (It was hard to type the last part with a straight face since with Carter the building isn't exactly full).
There won't be many straight faces, though, if Carter is moved. You, the fans, would be upset.
This isn't like last year when the Nets had to move Jason Kidd because he had become a distraction and disruptive. The buzz may have left, but there was a feeling of optimism when Devin Harris arrived.
If Carter is traded by three p.m. for financial reasons, there will be less buzz and little optimism about the Nets.
Posted by eric at February 19, 2009 12:48 PM