I believe Chicago, Atlanta, and Philly are also interested. Because he's available does not mean the Nets can sign him. Further, it will take way more than Avery Johnson to improve this team. You are playing with words now. The Nets losing 70 games is very relevant since it was their last record and some upcoming free agents will decide to sign with the team or not based on their most recent record. The Knicks being terrible the past 10 years is irrelevant since what happened during that time will not affect whether a player signs with us or not.
Avery is actually interested in the Nets, as well. Of course it will take more than a coach to improve the team, but it's certainly a start considering the type of coach we had last season. The Knicks won 29 games last season. It's not terrible as 12 games, but it's a pretty bad record. And for the record, I remember several players mention that the Nets record wouldn't affect their decision to sign with the Nets. I believe David Lee and Amare were among those two players.
But as you see, the competition is intense. You can't just say he will hire top staff when there are other teams bidding for the same people. This is why it is an unwarranted assumption. If 29-53 is a terrible record, how much more terrible is 17 additional losses? While Amar'e and Lee might be willing to sign, many other players like LeBron, Wade, and Bosh, who expressed a desire to win, might be less likely to sign with the Nets instead of a team like the Knicks. The Nets need more work than the Knicks because we have more assets than you, including more cap space, a better, more likable coach, and intangibles like MSG, NYC, etc.
