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July 3, 2012
Billy King’s Rather Amazing Overnight Nets Makeover
New York Magazine
by Will Leitch
Yesterday morning, the Nets essentially had four players on their roster. Today, it's a legitimate possibility that they have a Big Three that surpasses the Knicks' and challenges the Heat's. It's been a good 24 hours.
To be clear: King is only one third of the way there. Last night, he traded Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar, Jordan Williams, Johan Petro, DeShawn Stevenson, and Houston's 2013 first-round pick — essentially, nothing — to the Atlanta Hawks for Joe Johnson. Now, Johnson is dramatically overpaid, and the Hawks were desperate to get rid of him. But King used roster flotsam to bring in a potential superstar No. 3, or even a No. 2. This move makes less sense if Deron Williams — who met with the team last night — doesn't end up signing, but Williams is known to be a fan of Johnson's game, and the two players are an ideal backcourt team, particularly with Gerald Wallace also in the fold.
...The general consensus after the Johnson trade was that any hope — or "hope" — of Dwight Howard ever playing for the Nets (the only team he claimed he'd sign an extension with) was now over. And then, this morning. ESPN's Chris Broussard broke the news: The Nets and Magic were back in talks for Howard.
NoLandGrab: We still contend that Deron Williams is being measured for his Mavericks jersey, and that the Nets are more likely to sign Moe Howard than Dwight Howard.
Related coverage...
Sports Debaters, Broookylnnnnnnnnnnn!
The Nets are reportedly offering Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks and their first round picks for 2013, 2015 and 2017. If the trade goes through, the Nets would have traded away their entire roster in a matter of two days, leaving only Gerald Wallace, Joe Johnson, Dwight Howard and hopefully Deron Williams to build their team around. However, if you look at the blue print the Miami Heat laid out for the NBA world to see, it is clear that this would have a great chance of working. No matter who the Nets filled the roster in with, they would certainly be a playoff team and an automatic contender for the next few years.
Why would this scenario work great for Brooklyn? First of all, there would be energy and life in the Barclays Center each and every night to welcome the Nets to Brooklyn.
The Hoop Doctors, NBA Trade Rumors: In Defense of Joe Johnson and the Nets
Johnson—who is owed close to $90 million over the four years—is wildly overpriced. And he’s not Dwight Howard, nor is Gerald Wallace, whom the Nets recently re-signed to a four-year, $40 million deal. But this deal isn’t shortsighted, unwarranted or even illogical. It makes perfect sense.
Though Johnson’s salary all but eclipses any hopes the Nets had of obtaining Howard, it gives them yet another star-caliber player to bring into Barclays Center as their own.
NetsDaily, Joe Johnson Trade Analysis 101
In the last 48 hours, Billy King has committed $129.3 million of Mikhail Prokhorov's fortune to two contracts. At the rate Forbes reports he's going, it will take the Russian billionaire till the end of the week to make it up.
SBNation, Deron Williams Free Agency Rumors: Mavericks Resigned To Losing Williams?
Deron Williams met with both the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks on Monday, and from the reports coming out of those meetings it seems like the Mavericks are resigned to Williams choosing to stay in Brooklyn as the Nets open the Barclays Center.
NetsAreScorching, Joe Johnson and exorcising demons
It’s been hard being a Nets fan for these past few years.
We wouldn't know.
Ever since Jason Kidd forced his way out of New Jersey via trade in 2008 — and really, earlier — the Nets have been, to put it bluntly, a league-wide joke. Each year, they’ve forced their way into conversations for superstars on the promise of tomorrow, that Brooklyn would come and the Barclays Center will be packed and everyone will think you’re just the swellest thing that ever came over the Brooklyn Bridge.
Except for four years, that pitch didn’t work.
Posted by eric at July 3, 2012 12:57 PM