Nets Are Scorching

Scary part about a Paul trade that includes Okafor. What if Chris Paul leaves after 2012?

Current 2012 Line Up:

PG: Harris, Farmar
SG: T-Williams, Morrow, Lee
SF: James, Outlaw
PF: Favors, 2011 Draft Pick
C: Lopez, Petro

Plus signings, and other picks.

Chris Paul Disaster Scenario 2012:

PG: Farmar, Need
SG: Morrow, Lee
SF: Outlaw, James
PF: Okafor, Need
C: Lopez, Petro

We'd have given up draft picks, and talent on the rise. We'd also be jammed up on cap space. With having to re-sign Lopez looming.

Paul may not be worth. I love him as a player and a person, but I also love the current Nets direction. I'd embrace the trade, but I don't want to have suffered the past few years only to be right where Cleveland is right now after only two years of flirting with contention.

We're close to building something that's going to last for a very long time. We need to be smart here. This is crunch time in the rebuilding process.

"Mike Says:

July 27th, 2010 at 8:46 AM
I guess I’m just tired of getting jerked around. I will let you guys discuss the merits of this latest endeavor of attracting a “superstar”. But if the Nets have to give up Favors I’m dead against it."

I had to document this. Mike backed Favors!!!! Welcome to the club, buddy!

LJ23 -

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/report_hornets_will_look_nets_move_DlTlr6EaQc5R53l36jjyMK

@Mike-- I'm gonna take that as a compliment....

@tt if what you say is true than Thorn would lose a lot of respecct around the league.Most teams except for Miami and the Lakers are at least 3 or more years away from a championship.

didn't CP3 just say yesterday that he wanted to stay in NO?

Oh my God; I'm surrounded by stats geeks...I knew I should of been a insurance salesman...

@NJINME-- I don't see how the circumstances favored CP3, anyway. The Mavericks were #2 and #8 in offensive efficiency when he was a starter. Those should be big stats-boosters if any circumstance could be.

"And Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot
Fighting in the captain's tower
While calypso singers laugh at them
And fishermen hold flowers"

@calling all toasters...All I'm saying is that there isn't a huge difference and some of that difference may be that they were called on to do different things per their situation. I would like very much to see DH playing for Avery this year. I think we may all be surprised by the results. If after this year DH doesn't respond well we can revisit the CP3 or others move. Let's give it a chance before we blow this team up already.

@NJINME-- ASPGDH and CP3 aren't that close. 4 assists per game is a big difference. Paul is a higher % shooter, higher % 3pt shooter, better foul shooter, better rebounder, and a far better defensive player, including being the best ball stealer in the league. None of this is a knock on Devin-- CP3 would whip most PGs just as easily in a head-to-head comparison.

@Gabe; I love your effort, knowledge and overall dedication on finding ways to make the Nets contenders, but lets try building a team without Paul and Anthony being the keys.
It's starting to sound like the LeBron and Wade/Bosh nightmare all over again. It's like that silly Rubic's Cube. Get the best players somehow to all line up for us. Boulevard of broken dreams. But hey, I'm a Nets fan, give me something I can believe in.

New jersey gets Paul and Murphy. New orleans gets granger and first round pick. Pacers get Harris, humphries,williams, and first round pick. I'd hate to see Williams go, but we would still have morrow and lee at sg. Then add Paul to pg. And Murphy as a more than capable pf, just for the year. Not saying any chance this happens, I'm just saying it's the best trade for all teams. New orleans would be competitive with collison, granger, okafur, and west. Nets get Paul and a stop gap pf. Pacers get a player that can make his own shot, something they lack, a sg with potential all star ability, and cap relief. Aswell as humphries to be their backup pf.

Just something to think about. Differnce between CP3 and DH a whopping 2ppg and 4a. DH is 2 yrs older, been in the league 6 yrs to CP3's 5yrs. CP3 started all 5yrs while DH came off the bench the first two. DH was on a team being torn down (for a real estate deal), while CP3 was on a team trying to win. Both have had injuries (CP3s was more severe). When DH had his allstar year he WAS talked about and INCLUDED in conversations about the current crop of great PGs. We don't need a pg we need a pf to go along with Favors and Hump. CP3 will not make us any better than DH in allstar form.......THINK ABOUT IT

OK So let me say that I like the Nets current roster. I am actually one of the few fans of their offseason. I like when a team builds. However, I also could grow to like a trade for Chris Paul. I'd prefer to keep our roster and develop our young guys into stars--that would be awesome. But I also can say that a team highlighting Chris Paul and Brook Lopez (and someone else I'll mention later) could be very very good. Granted, I have concerns about Chris Paul's injuries but he's a top 10 NBA player. A few seasons ago he was a top 3 player in the league. Tough to pass that up.

So lets say the Nets swing a deal for Chris Paul and Emeka Okafor. Before I discuss the pros and cons of Okafor lets examine a possible management game plan to acquire these players. The Nets could offer Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, and two 2011 Nets/Warriors first round picks and a 2013 Nets first round pick. That's a nice package. I think the first team to say no could conceivably be the Nets, but they might just roll the dice on this. The problem is, financially, the Nets would be stuck without cap space for the foreseeable future and wouldn't be able to afford a free agnet in the near future with the roster at that current state. The problem is does this trade put over the top (in terms of talent)? What could we do with that proposed roster to continue to make it better in the future? Some comments mention how Okafor's contract is the deal breaker since it "locks us up" financially. I say yes and no.
But first lets look at what that team would look like (it's basically the same as I posted before):
_
Chris Paul, Jordan Farmar, Ben Uzoh
Terrence Williams, Anthony Morrow
Travis Outlaw, Damion James
Emeka Okafor, Derrick Favors
Brook Lopez, Johan Petro, Brian Zoubek
_
First of all, Emeka Okafor isn't Eddy Curry. His contract was about the same as Eddy Curry's but Eddy Curry is unplayable. He has serious negative value. Okafor is more than a solid contributor. While Okafors contract is bad the Nets could take the bait and try to pawn him off to someone else with their other assets to reacquire cap space for 2011.
_
Lets say Utah plays horrible this year because they realize Al Jefferson is the leagues worst defender. Not like they would get desperate but they might entertain a trade of Andrei Kirilenko's expiring contract for Emeka Okafor, his defense, Damion James, his defense, and the heats second round pick in 2011.
-
OK so now lets say we can't steal Andrei Kirilenko away for those players because of Okafors contract. This is just one example of many. Expiring contracts wont be netting teams much in terms of assets, players, picks in return next season because so many teams have trade exceptions and expiring contracts and/or are under the cap altogether.
_
For instance, the Nets can offer this same package to the size and rebounding deficient Detroit Pistons and take Tashaun Princes contract. Or they can make a play for Pacers' Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy, or TJ Ford. They are all expiring. Or they can see if the Trailblazers need a center, they can swap out Andre Miller and/or Przbilla. Or they can offer Travis Outlaw instead.
And Ideally they could find a team under the cap (meaning that team could just absorb contracts by trading something like a 2043 11th round pick...point is it can be of little or no value) who needs bigs and with Damion James being a bigger bang for the buck it could tip the scales. But if Damion James plays out of his head to make these trades feasible for other teams, then I'd think the Nets might not include him, unless...they can land Carmelo Anthony in 2011. Once Okafors off the books the Nets can afford this team:
_
2011
Chris Paul, Jordan Farmar
Terrence Williams, Anthony Morrow
Carmelo Anthony, Travis Outlaw
Derrick Favors, Andrei Kirilenko*
Brook Lopez, Johan Petro, Brian Zoubek

*nets would need to shave off 3 million more to give Kirilenko a contract starting at more than 8 million a year. Doubt he would sign for 5-->
_
Lastly, I know this is dream talk. Its possible, but not very likely. I don't know how else this "5 year plan" could get any closer to contention than with a team like the one above. But either way, I like the Nets as they are, I'd like the Nets if they got Okafor, even if they were stuck with him, as long as he was productive rebounding and playing D until Derrick Favors took over. And lastly, I'd like *ok love this team. But as I said before I like to build, and grow with a team. So I would rather all this unfold nice a slowly.

@Wes Thanks for the explanation. @Gabe, I would do that trade in a second, but I doubt the Hornets would do it... right?

I can see right now, Billy King tinkering with ESPN-TRADEMACHINE, with Proky holding on the line.

Wes, right the Nets would need to add Humphries. See http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=24ayq34

I think the Nets should pass on CP3 to be honest. Develop the young guys. Even with CP3 they are not a top 4 team in the east IMO. I also dont think his heart is in it and I think the Nets would have to give up way to much in a trade (favors would have to be included). I am sure NO's GM will be able to take advantage of King. The King signing was the worst thing they did this offseason.

Take on Posey and Peja. At least we can get them all off the books in 2 years. Okafor for 4 more years is almost unbearable.

We are kidding ourselves if we think Melo is coming to NJ. Really kidding ourselves. First I believe he is going to sign his extention with the Nuggets b/c its the most money and makes the most sense with the impending lock out. If for some extremely unlikely reason IMO he leaves Denver sadly its going to be to play with the Knicks.

no cp3 please no especially if it means giving up Favors for Okafur
NO
Go get Melo
send TWill TOutlaw and 3 1st rd draft picks to Denver for Carmelo Anthony

Guys I really doubt we have to match their salaries we are like 15 million under the cap salaries don't need to marcher could take on more money then them I still think if we could get a third team involved that would take okeafor that would be the best thing I really wouldn't mind giving up Harris lee and hump

@Gabe; I agree in principal. LOL
If you can get Paul for that price do it. It seems that how champonship teams are built in the NBA these days. Very quickly by taking advantage of another teams stupidity or misfortune. The days of building teams slowly thru the draft
seem to be gone. By the time your young team is ready to contend free agency comes a knocking. Plus you have to be very lucky in drafting the Durants, Howard's,Anthony's etc.

Gabe,

That is a nice lineup. But the truth is Favors and/or T-Will would most likley have to be a part of any trade. It's the only way to make the money work. Assuming of course Okeafor is involved.

Ezra, You can use the ESPn trade machine to gain a bit more understanding of the cap and what you can, and of course cannot do. It's actually a good tool and allows you to explore trade exceptions and other stuff in making the deal work. Here is the link

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine

You'll notice one thing right away.. If you automatically include Paul and Okeafor you'll need a combo of 3 players to make the deal work. So all the nonsense about Harris straight up is not getting it done. It will need to be Harris, most likely Favors and T-Will or Lee... So it's a tough trade to stomach if you really look into it.. But try away.

@Chris;
I don't believe so. Still I thought
new ownership was going to bring over some Euro-players. So far they haven't. Plus I'm still wondering what Proky's November surprise is all about.

Do the Nets still have the rights to any European players that they never signed. I felt like there was always a 2nd rounder or late 1st rounder who may come over but didn't.

I think his health is a major concern. But if we could trade Courtney Lee Devin Harris and a couple picks I would do it. Even if we had to take on Okafor. Okafor isnt bad by any means. He just is worth closer to 8 million than 10+.

Tell me this team isnt a contender:

Chris Paul, Jordan Farmar
Terrence Williams, Anthony Morrow
Travis Outlaw, Damion James
Emeka Okafor, Derrick Favors
Brook Lopez, Johan Petro
~
They have rebounding. Defense. Playmaking. Shooting. They are like a super charged version of the Bucks. I think beating the Heat is about excelling in the areas where they struggle. The Nets would have the best point guard in the league and the best front court rotation in the league (save the Magic/Lakers). Also Terrence Williams is athletic enough to guard Wade or Lebron. Okafor is a great defender/rebounder. I dunno, I just think this team is awesome.

THE NETS JUST SUCK!!
i know people tight with rod thorn and he was pissed he did not get one of the first 2 lottery picks!
in fact i spoke with rod in april near the end of the nets season--and he said there was a big fall after the first 2 top players in the draft.
i also know for a fact that thorn is NOT a devin harris fan--he believes he is soft,refuses to play with minor injuries and would dump him if possible!!an asst coach with memphis i am friends with told me that the nets were trying totrade harris before the 2009 draft!!
other than lopez,this team as currently put together sucks!!among other reasonsfor thorn resigning,thorn knows that getting back to the elite level will take time that he doesnt have!

CP3 is a helluva player, and I'm not going to scoff at the idea of having him running the pick & roll on my team, but I'm also not going to get my hopes up on a guy who may not want to be here. I see the Hornets using us as leverage. And I'm sorry, give away favors and still take on Okafor for a point guard after a knee injury? Kinda pushing it. I'll let knicks fans keep day dreaming about other team's players

If we could get him for mostly Harris and the assumption of Okafor's contract I would be fine with that -- honestly, Okafor starting in front of Favors for a while would not be a bad thing... better than Humphries, for sure. But could someone who understands the salary cap explain what's really possible here? Don't the salaries need to be even in a trade? Do we have a trade exception to make an uneven trade work?

Not a good idea... What would we have to give up? And, more importantly, what would we have to TAKE BACK?

I truly believe the Hornets are shopping him to teams like the Nets because we HAVE A TERRIBLE GM who can be suckered into bad deals... And we can take back Okeafor's terrible salary, which is a calling card of Billy King. Bad contracts in return...haha

We'd most certainly have to part with Harris, Favors and either T-Will or C-Lee and probably draft picks and I'm still not sure that works, monetarily.

Look out Nets fans. If King is not monitored this can turn out to be a terrible terrible moment for us. I'm hoping we don't get too involved in this and stick to building from within...

Is D. Harris and T. Williams enough to get him?

I'm sure we'd have to give up too much for CP3. I don't like the idea of him being in Lebrons camp either. I say stay away, he's poison, talented yes, but tainted.

I guess I'm just tired of getting jerked around. I will let you guys discuss the merits of this latest endeavor of attracting a "superstar". But if the Nets have to give up Favors I'm dead against it.

CP3 is a fairly reasonable guy and I don't think its unfair that has a competitive player he knows the team is comitted to winning. They make millions of dollars off him why should he waste his prime when they're going to dump their draft picks etc. Lebron's camp or not. CP3 is a diferent person Lebron is an ego maniac CP3 is just a competitve guy.

If "Team LeBron" is really involved, I couldn't care less. Appeasing CP3
and his crowd would be sickening at this point. I want players who want us, not use us. If the Nets don't have to give up much, if CP3 is healthy and he's willing to sign on our terms, then maybe. "Frankly speaking, I don't give a damn".

Man, you people are nuts! Worse than a new puppy with a stuffed animal in its mouth. Let it go already. This is ALL media hype, there is no substance to it whatsoever. NOTE: Repeating false information from bad media sources in a thousand different places on the Internet doesn't make it true. Berger has no sources, no proof, its just a way to keep drawing hits. There's not one reliable sports media source out there. And all the wannabe sports writers who become bloggers and repeat the same BS over and over. Go find something else to write about.

Two years to shows we're committed to winning. CP3 is a lot easier to apease then Lebron James.

In my opinion Kris Humphries does not cut it at all. He's an absolute waste of time. No power, not a good rebounder, not athletic enough. He equals just a body on the court. He's at best Scalabrine on the Celtics.

If Nets can't sign him to an extension forgeta bout it!