<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>It is a rare occurrence when you can pinpoint the exact moment a franchise changes course; when an organization's management decides to start thinking further into the future as opposed to immediate playoff hopes and short-term success. But for the New Jersey Nets, February 19th, 2008 is day that the entire franchise switched gears. On that date, when the Nets shipped Jason Kidd to the Mavericks for Devin Harris and two first-round drafts picks (2008 and 2010), it was officially the end of the era. .......................................................... <u>Overall Grade: B</u> The rebuilding project is well under way in NJ. Nets GM Rod Thorn is one of the best in the business. He has revamped the Nets roster on the fly, adding young, enticing pieces such as Devin Harris, Yi Jianlian, Brook Lopez, and Chris Douglas-Roberts in the matter of months. Having a top GM is so incredibly important in developing a winning organization.</div> New Jersey Nets... The Grade So Far - Tommy Beer, Hoopsworld Just some random guy grading the Nets. Not a bad grade at all. Pretty dumb how he calls Rod the GM, though. No credit to Kiki at all?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (GMJigga @ Aug 8 2008, 04:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Rod is the president. Kiki is general manager.</div> Thanks for catching that
In every article HoopsWorld writes about the Nets, there is this assumption that the Nets are trying desperately to get rid of Carter...same with this article. There is nothing to substantiate that. The Nets could have made a great deal for the 2010 cap space finals by trading Carter for Wally Szczerbiak straight up. They passed. It was a no-brainer if they wanted rid of him and if their entire strategy is based on being under the cap in 2010. And it would have saddled Cleveland with a BIG contract, leveling the playing field with the Cavs for Lebron's services in 2010. My take: The Nets appear to be stockpiling the kinds of things that teams offer for stars: promising young players, first round draft picks and expiring contracts. I don't know what they're planning, maybe nothing, but I think that is lost in all these amateur analyses. There are two very good guard prospects out there whose restricted free agencies appear to be headed south: Ben Gordon and J.R. Smith. In my wildest Net dreams, they make a play for one of them. They have what they would need in terms of cap space, picks, contracts. The Nets have more assets now than they gave the Raptors for VC--no young players, just cheap contracts and two picks, neither of which were as good as the 2010 Mav pick and one had about the same value as the 2011 Golden State pick. Pick up one of those two guys at a reasonable price and VC could be traded.
