RATNER SAYS HE WON'T GUT NETS By FRED KERBER July 3, 2004 -- The Nets' prospective owner wants to keep the Big Three intact, bring back Rod Thorn as team CEO after next year and squash portrayals he is a "penny-pinching" ogre who sought the team only to enhance his planned Brooklyn real estate deal. So developer Bruce Ratner insisted he wants to re-sign Kenyon Martin this year, re-up Richard Jefferson next year and dispel the notion Jason Kidd will be traded. Ratner said while personnel decisions reside primarily with Thorn and GM Ed Stefanski, he would use the $5.1 million mid-level exception if convinced it would help the team. "The most important thing is to better the team," Ratner said yesterday at his Forest City Ratner Companies headquarters in Brooklyn. "You've got to have a competitive team. In fact, you want a championship team. I understand that. That's the overall goal. That's the first thing I want to get straight. This is not a business venture to make money. We will spend what is necessary." Among the major questions facing the Nets right now is the status of Martin, the restricted free agent All-Star who seeks a maximum contract. There have been numerous reports, from within and outside the organization, that the team may let him go if money isn't cleared to sign him. Asked if the Nets have the finances to secure him, Ratner said, "I hope there is. "That is the goal. That's what I want to do. That's what I've wanted from Day 1. That's really important and we're going to try to do it," Ratner, 59, an Ohio native, added. "I've told Rod and Ed that we've got to do everything we can to try to sign Kenyon Martin." But Ratner said "everything" does not include trading Kidd ? which would be difficult anyway, with Kidd coming off knee surgery. It might however, mean trading Kerry Kittles and his $10 million salary. That's "a decision I give to management," Ratner said, claiming "certain things won't happen, that's all. Period. Triple period." Ratner, whose ownership still needs expected NBA approval, admitted to keep the Big Three ? which he intends to do ? "may mean you have to sacrifice elsewhere" and that is a call "by the people who do the day-to-day managing." One of those people is Thorn, whom Ratner admitted is probably underpaid compared to other league execs with similar posts. Thorn's contract expires after this season and Ratner said "I hope so" when asked if Thorn would be back. Ratner was stung by recent reports of his demands to cut costs. He said he would give his blessing to using the mid-level exception if Thorn and Stefanski deemed it worthy. Those two are "reasonably free" to make financial decisions. "I'm just the opposite of a penny pincher," he said. I can't deal with bean counters." LINK This is a good sign. I hope he delivers
wow. this is really shocking to me. if that is all true,which i am assuming it is and not just quotes to make people still be interested in the nets next year, then i considered kmart already resigned with us. we can match any offer, he wants to stay, we want to keep him, so there is absolutly NO reason kmart is not in NJ next year and future years. i also really like that he wants to resign rod after his contract goes out. i really like rod as many nets fans do. he is a good basketball person and i hope he gets a good contract because he deserves it. another part that shocked me a little bit was that ratner would use the mid-level exception if rod/ed thought it was worth it. earlier reports stated that we wouldnt use it at all, but if we can get something for kerry and sign someone with the mle,i think we can improve on last years team. we have whoever we sign w/mle and ppl we get for kerry and then eddie/nenad coming onto our roster. of course we don't know what they are going to give us this year, but we all agree both of those players have talent and will eventually be good if they stay on the right path. overall, this article has made me actually smile about our upcoming season. i don't know if previous reports about ratner were false and i'm not sure how true these reports are and i still dont have a feel for ratner as a person and owner. i guess time will show me what kind of businessman and person he is. as long as rod/ed call the shots,i feel we wont go into another dark period as a franchise.
It sounds like someone got to him & convinced him that the best thig for him to do is keep this team together & competive. There was no way he New York board of aproval was going to approve bring a team that they felt would not be profitable to the city of New York. And losing is not profitable. I hope he isnt bsing us, just so he can look like an owner that cares about winning but sercetly behind the sence with his hands on the trigger gutting ths team apart. But anyway Kittles is probably stilll gone. So it will be interestng to see what we get for him.
He does need to have a star when he moves the nets to brooklyn other wise who is going to watch a team with a bunch of no names.
Sounds like BS to me. Keep the big three first and make a believer out of me. Oh and give Thorn his money. He deserves it.
