You have to believe next year will be different, that the Nets could be the ones announcing signings on the first day teams can ink free agents.
We know the cap is expected to be less - giving the Nets and everyone else less dollars to spend - but they at least will be in a better position to sign players.
They could this year if they wanted to, but chances are the Nets will let today's signing day pass without making a peep. Something could change, of course, but things have been relatively quiet since the Vince Carter trade.
The Nets are waiting out the first wave of free agents and maybe even the second. They want to find a bargain and hope in the meantime they can unload some players since they have 15 of them under contract.
They also would like to use their trade exception(s) for a new guy(s).
We've said it all along: Brook Lopez, Courtney Lee and Terrence Williams are safe. For Devin Harris to be moved it would have to be for something big. There are some mixed feelings about Yi Jianlian within the organization, but not doubt he can be had. The Nets would like to see what they have in Chris Douglas-Roberts, who might be the most competitive player on the team.
After that, make an offer. You can have Sean Williams, Josh Boone, Trenton Hassell, Bobby Simmons and Eduardo Najera. But if they're all back, we'll hear about their professionalism and improved work ethic in camp. In some of the cases - Najera, Hassell and Simmons especially - it probably will be true.
The Nets want a power forward for insurance for Yi, to help Lopez, to help rebound.
Some of the names you have seen here and elsewhere - Linas Kleiza, Chris Wilcox, Channing Frye, Hakim Warrick - aren't great rebounders or necessarily power forwards. Also, for this list, the Nets will wait it out. Other than Frye, who is receiving some interest, none of the other players are worth digging into your midlevel for at this point. Brandon Bass is a good fit, but he has options and will get far more than the Nets want to spend.
For the most part, the Nets will only offer one-year guaranteed deals or trade for someone with one-year left - unless they think he's worth more than that. They don't want to jeopardize any of the flexibility they created for 2010.
Their hope is to use their trade exceptions to get someone like they did Keyon Dooling last year. They have three. One, for $1.26 million from the Marcus Williams trade, expires two weeks from today. A person with knowledge of the Nets thinking said it's "doubtful" at this point that they would use it before then. But something could arise.
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A year ago this week, the Nets lined up people to meet and talk with in Orlando. They dined with Eduardo Najera and Jarvis Hayes and also met with Keyon Dooling. They landed all three.
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ESPN is reporting that when the salary cap was set last night teams were informed of the possibility that the cap could be between $50.4 million and $53.6 million next year, down significantly from the $57.7 this season.
That means teams will have less to spend, the midlevel will be less, and max contracts will be less, which is why it's possible some of the vaunted free agents from the class of 2010 will sign extensions this summer. They would get more.
Not sure the effect it has on the Nets yet.
With their current roster, they have about $23 million in payroll - for six guys - for 2010-11. That doesn't include their two first-round picks and does include the partial guarantees to Najera and Dooling.
If they fully guarantee both guys by June 30, 2010 - I'm not expecting that - their payroll for eight players is about $26.8 million plus their two first-round picks (theirs and Dallas).
So if the projections are right and my numbers are right, the Nets could have roughly $22 million to $25 million in the first case and $18 million and $21 million in the second case.
My projection is with the Nets being really bad and getting a top five pick and Dallas' pick being in the early 20s.
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To answer something from yesterday regarding Rafer Alston: His contract has guarantees based on health and team performance. He played most of his teams games and helped them reach the finals. He's guaranteed for 2009-10. Also, the Nets need him. He's big-time insurance for the rehabbing Dooling and often banged up Harris.
You snooze, YOU LOSE (remember that during the regular season).
Posted by: Ari | July 08, 2009 at 01:23 PM
Hey Al; Should the Nets tank this season like Miami did a couple of years ago or should they try to make the playoffs?
Posted by: MIke | July 08, 2009 at 01:34 PM
Al,
Thanks for the update on Rafer's contract. While PG depth is a good thing, it'll be interesting to see who emerges as Harris's primary backup, and if there's any issues that fall out from that. While Dooling & Najera provide good veteran leadership, it wouldn't surprise me to see us try to get out from their partial guarantees next year, by trading them for an expiring contract.
As you stated, we should be targeting players with one year left on their deals. I would think Boozer is at the top of that list. It sounds like the Blazers are willing to give him away for whomever is able to give the least amount of salary in return.
Posted by: Nick | July 08, 2009 at 02:04 PM
^Correction: I meant the Jazz are trying to dump Boozer's contract, not the Blazers obviously.
Posted by: Nick | July 08, 2009 at 02:26 PM
hi al,
nice commentary above EXCEPT i know from people within the organization that EVERYONE among them knows yi stinks.
they OBVIOUSLY need to be optomistic in public to find ANY SUCKER to take him out of jersey.
IT WILL NOT BE AN EASY TASK TO GET RID OF HIM.
Posted by: hugh | July 09, 2009 at 10:55 AM
15 contrACTS. SO HERE IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH FRANK, LOPEZ AND DEVIN, WILL PLAY,, then hassel, simons hayes battie najera,will play 30 mpg because they dont make mistakes, they suck but they are vets,YI will play cause hes chinese, dooling will spot. williams lee,cdr, will watch,play 1 day 30 minutes and sit for a week. BOONE AND SWAYT WILL WILT AWAY AND AVERAGE A DOUBLE DOUBLE ON THERE NEXT TEAMS ,we had the same problem last yr to many players.RIGHT NOW i would trade battire najera for anything cut hasel,they aRE only valuable as expiring deals and we are not taking on salary beyond this year,i think next yr is bs also, becuase you could get boozer amere this year and have the same payroll, and next yr have money for 1 max player.then you could tell the max player i have devin brook, amere or boozer wana join us?plus young upcoming players.either way 15 guys noone will develope it happened last yr.
Posted by: jack | July 09, 2009 at 09:04 PM
i would give up twill, goldenstates pick which is heavily protected,and dallas pick which looks like dallas who one 51 games with howard injured now gets marion gortat and a healthy howard could win 60 games.so the pick is garbage i give that plus expiring deals for amere.2009 team, lopez 21 amere26 yi 22lee 22 and haris 26, cdr 22swat23 and boone25 heavy minutes, and still have 17 mil left for a max player,imagine lebron instead of yiin 2010, that would be sick,but teams like grizles who turned down rudy gay and warick for amere, and goldenstate who wont part with curry and bidrens and crap for amere, that is why they are always a laughingstock despite lottery after loterypick,stop playing with net fans if we only care about bk say it, trade devin i would do devin and yi for love and rubio, or devin to portland for bayless and fernandez, and let all the 22 and younger players grow up together.I REALY WANTED BOOZER I WOULD HAVE DONE BOOZER FOR TWILL SIMMONS AND GOLDENSTATES PICK,I JUST DONT LIKE 15 CONTRACTS AND HAYES CDR TWILL DOOLING HASEL NAREA ALSTON HAVING TO FIGHT FOR MINUTES FOR THE WING POSITION,i want them to say we rebuilding the kids only will play or we going for a chance and get us amere or boozer
Posted by: jack | July 09, 2009 at 09:17 PM
i forgot to mention lee in the above post, how about coutnee lee or t will and a pick for rubios rights let him play in spain 2 more years and decrease the log jam we have
Posted by: jack | July 09, 2009 at 09:19 PM
dirk anint goin anywhere yao aint opting out. boozer and amere will be traded and signed this year, if he is playing again,chandler isnt opting out he cant be given away tmac is done,so the remaining big class, is LEBRON BOSH WADE,WADE PLAYS IN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY AND WEATHER MIAMI,AND HAS A RING,HE WONT LEAVE HE WILL ATTRACT A FREE AGENT,BOSH I DO THINK WILL LEAVE AND LEBRON WANTS TO BE THE 1 ST BILLIONAIRE ATHELETE AND WANTS MULTIPLE RINGS, IF WE ARE NT GOING TO BK HES NOT COMING TO NJ, IF HE WANTS TO BE A BILLIONAIRE AND THE KNICKS CAN GET 1 MORE SUPERSTAR THERE IS A CHANCE,CHICAGO HAS A GOOD CHANCE AS WELL, D ROSE SUPERSTAR, LEBRON,TAKING OVER FOR MJ, DENG A EXCELLENT YOUNG SF,NOAH GOOD YOUNG CENTER AND IF THEY BEAT US TO BOOZER YEAH THATS A DYNASTY, ,THE THING THAT IS PISSING ME OFF IS HE WILL BE DEALT FOR TYS THOMAS,AND HE WANTS TO COPME TO NJ AND HAS A HOME HERE AND ISD 26Y/O UNHAPPY NETS FAN HERE
Posted by: jack | July 10, 2009 at 01:15 AM