Latest Nets Stories
Posted: Jun 26th 2009 3:00AM ET by Tim Povtak (RSS feed)
Filed under: 76ers, Bobcats, Bucks, Bulls, Cavaliers, Celtics, Heat, Knicks, Magic, Nets, Pacers, Pistons, Raptors, Wizards, NBA Draft

In the weakest NBA draft in years, sitting out might have been the best thing to do. All the fireworks were done before it even began. The
Cavs traded for Shaq. The
Magic added Vince Carter. The
Wizards snagged Mike Miller instead of the No. 5 pick. Several teams showed little interest in getting involved.
Keep reading after the jump for the Eastern Conference rundown.
Posted: Jun 25th 2009 9:40PM ET by Tim Povtak (RSS feed)
Filed under: Magic, Nets, NBA Transactions

ORLANDO --
Vince Carter didn't have to travel very far to shake hands with his new coach or general manager.
He was in town before the trade was even completed.
Carter, the eight-time All-Star, was
traded Thursday from the New Jersey Nets to the Orlando Magic, whose practice facilities and offices were only a few miles away from where he was holding one of his summer basketball camps earlier in the day.
Carter grew up in nearby Daytona Beach, where much of his family still lives. He already has a home in Orlando. And he was a regular at Amway Arena watching the Magic through the playoffs.
Posted: Jun 25th 2009 5:50PM ET by Tom Ziller (RSS feed)
Filed under: Magic, Nets, NBA Transactions

Orlando certainly got the best player (
Vince Carter) in
its deal with New Jersey today, and new Magician
Ryan Anderson is a real catch, too. But beyond stellar youngster
Courtney Lee, serviceable big man
Tony Battie and solid point guard
Rafer Alston, the Nets got another big asset: tons of cap space.
New Jersey will only save about $1 million in payroll for the 2009-10 season. But Carter is the only player in the deal with a contract extending into the 2010-11. (There are cheap team options on both Anderson and Lee. Cheap, as in $1.3 million.) With this trade, the Nets now have less than $20 million committed for the 2010-11, giving the team some $40 million to offer up to multiple free agents, or to use in trades. Yes, the Nets can pull two max players in the vaunted summer of 2010.
Posted: Jun 25th 2009 5:25PM ET by Tim Povtak (RSS feed)
Filed under: Magic, Nets, NBA Transactions

Worried that signing free agent
Hedo Turkoglu would handcuff them with the luxury tax for several years, the Orlando Magic turned instead to the New Jersey Nets and consummated a trade for
Vince Carter that will be announced later Thursday.
According to multiple NBA sources, the Magic would be sending
Tony Battie,
Rafer Alston and
Courtney Lee to New Jersey.
Earlier in the week, the
Magic also were talking with Houston about re-acquiring
Tracy McGrady, but they opted to pursue Carter instead. Although Carter will make considerably more next season than Turkoglu -- who is looking for a five-year, $50 million contract -- he has only two guaranteed years remaining, paying him $16.3 and $17.3 million, respectively.
Posted: Jun 20th 2009 6:30PM ET by Tim Povtak (RSS feed)
Filed under: 76ers, Celtics, Knicks, Nets, Wizards, NBA Draft

The New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets, picking at No. 8 and 11, respectively, are busy preparing their teams for next summer's free agent class, trying to add complementary pieces now for the new stars they are hoping to attract.
The Toronto Raptors, at No. 9, are trying to make sure that free-agent-to-be
Chris Bosh, doesn't go anywhere in 2010. All three teams should be able to get decent players where they are picking. In the Atlanta Division, the Knicks are the most likely of the three to trade up to get what they want.
Posted: May 19th 2009 2:30PM ET by Tom Ziller (RSS feed)
Filed under: Kings, Knicks, Nets, Suns, NBA Draft

By theory, the NBA Draft Lottery (Tuesday at 8:00 PM ET) is left to randomness. But what if, as the conspiracy-minded have insisted for
more than two decades ... what if
David Stern dictated the results? With the power of Merlin, who would the commissioner designate the winners of the lottery prize?
Close your eyes and imagine such a world ...
Posted: May 16th 2009 3:15PM ET by Tom Ziller (RSS feed)
Filed under: Nets, NBA Rumors

Newark and the Nets have an uneasy relationship right now. The Nets, waiting for Brooklyn, play in the contemptible IZOD Center, a cavernous, inconveniently located mess, up in East Rutherford. Newark has a shiny new gym, the Prudential Center, home of the Devils and (occasionally) the JoBros. Newark would like the Nets to spend some time at Prudential until Atlantic Yards in the BK is ready. The Nets don't like that idea.
As such, the folks in Newark -- particularly mayor Cory Booker -- have fired cannonballs at
Bruce Ratner and the Nets franchise, pushing the "Brooklyn ain't happening,
so move to Newark!" storyline hard. Booker turned up the dial quite a bit this week by publicly predicting Ratner will be putting the Nets up for sale soon.
Posted: May 13th 2009 8:30PM ET by Tim Povtak (RSS feed)
Filed under: Magic, Mavericks, Nets, Pistons, Playoffs, USA Basketball

TEQUESTA, Fla. -- This looked like a Bad Boys reunion.
The NBA came from around the country Wednesday to celebrate the life and mourn the death of
Chuck Daly, but nothing was more impressive than his collection of pallbearers.
It was the nucleus of his two championship teams in Detroit, the ones that transformed him from just another coaching lifer into a Hall of Famer and Olympic Gold Medalist revered by all.
Isiah Thomas,
Joe Dumars,
Vinnie Johnson,
Rick Mahorn and
Bill Laimbeer were at his side. The Bad Boy Pistons and their leader one final time.
"I think when you go through the things we did together, there is a bond that never breaks,'' said Laimbeer. "This was a sad time, but a time to celebrate who he was, and what he did, and how loved he was.''
Posted: May 12th 2009 12:55PM ET by Tom Ziller (RSS feed)
Filed under: Nets, Pacers, NBA Awards

All NBA awards are completely subjective and usually debatable. None registers moreso (on both counts) than the Most Improved Player award. There are a million arbitrary, unwritten rules about who can be eligible for consideration. Some voters reject all All-Stars, others think second- or third-year players shouldn't be valid. It's a mess, really.
But this season had some great candidates we can all agree on. Chief among them were
Danny Granger and
Devin Harris. Today,
Granger was announced as the victor, beating out Harris by just a handful of votes.