Every Sunday, we’ll be updating the Nets’ off-season with bits and pieces of information, gossip, etc. to help take the edge off missing the playoffs, relying on the Nets’ beat reporters and others who have slipped interesting data into larger stories and blogs.

Breaking Up is So Very Hard to Do.

Over the past several years, the Nets’ off-season would break down this way: because the team had three players with huge contracts, the team was limited to 1) adding rookies, 2) adding one player—maybe two—using the MLE, and 3) then filling out the roster with vet minimum contracts or just a little above the vets minimum. The tyranny of the luxury tax threshold dictated the strategy.

In 2004-05, as we noted before, the Nets signed several marginal NBA players to minimum deals: Travis Best, Jabari Smith, Rodney Buford, Kyle Davis, Billy Thomas, Awvee Storey, and Jacque Vaughn.

In 2005-06, Scott Padgett, Lamond Murray and Linton Johnson III all had minimum deals or close to it. The next year, 2006-07, there was Mikki Moore and second round picks Mile Ilic and Hassan Adams. Then last year, Malik Allen, Darrell Armstrong, Eddie Gill were added.

This year, it’s different. The Nets have only one contract that pays more than $10 million, Vince Carter’s, although Bobby Simmons is close at $9.9 million, and the team has yet to sign a player to a minimum deal. With 16 players already under contract, it’s a good possibility they won’t.

Instead, the team has gone with a new strategy: going young in particular but also getting players with manageable contracts that are also hopefully bargains. There are five players on the roster who are still on their rookie deals: Josh Boone, Yi Jianlian, Sean Williams, Brook Lopez and Ryan Anderson, plus Chris Douglas-Roberts. Although CDR, as a second rounder, is being paid the minimum, the Nets constructed his deal so that, like a first rounder, his first two years are guaranteed and the team has an option on the third. The Nets has never done that with a second rounder in the Rod Thorn era.

The payroll is essentially broken up into more manageable pieces, contracts that are more easily moved. There’s some level of flexibility.

That doesn’t mean the Nets are cutting back, as much as it looks like that. The team has actually added salary since last February 1, when the rebuilding began with the trade of Jason Collins and cash considerations to Memphis for Stromile Swift. In terms of guaranteed salary commitments, the Nets have acquired or signed players owed $111.5 million over the course of their contracts while sending away players who are guaranteed $71.5 million. Here’s the breakdown.

Out:

Jason Collins, owed $6.2 million
Jason Kidd, owed $21.4 million
Richard Jefferson, owed $42.6 million
Marcus Williams, owed $1.3 million

Total: $71.5 million.

In:

Stromile Swift, owed $6.2 million
Devin Harris, owed $47 million
Trenton Hassell, owed $8.7 million
Maurice Ager, owed $1.0 million
Keith Van Horn (buyout), owed $500,000
Bobby Simmons, owed $20.5 million
Yi Jianlian, owed $3 million
Ryan Anderson (added pick from Kidd trade), $2.6 million
Chris Douglas-Roberts (guaranteed second year), $736,000
Eduardo Najera, owed $12 million
Jarvis Hayes, owed $1.9 million
Keyon Dooling, owed $7.4 million

Total: $111.5 million

As with any list like this, there are some footnotes, although none take away from the overall point.

–We’re speculating on the amount of KVH’s buyout although we doubt it’s more.

–We didn’t include money guaranteed Brook Lopez as an added commitment since the Nets were going to have a first round pick in any event. We also didn’t count CDR’s first year for the same reason…but we did add the guaranteed $736,000 in the second year of his deal. That was at the team’s discretion. We did add Anderson’s contract since he was taken with the Dallas pick from the Kidd trade.

–We’re using a $3 million figure for what Yi Jianlian is owed. That’s all the Nets are committed to right now. They are fully expected to extend his rookie contract through 2009-10 by October 15, adding another $3.2 to the commitments.

–Beat reporters wrote that Eduardo Najera has a four-year $12 million guarantee, but others are suggesting that only the first two years, at $6.25 million, is guaranteed with the remaining two years, at $5.75 million, is a team option exercisable in 2010-11. We’re going with the beat reporters’ numbers.

–We’re also assuming a $500,000 buyout in Keyon Dooling’s third year. It’s been reported as a “pittance”, which in NBA teams is about a half million dollars.

The overall point is that the Nets have dropped big salaries and limited long-term salaries except for the most critical players. The big difference is those manageable rookie deals and most of all, what could be a bargain basement deal for Devin Harris. He’s scheduled to make no more than $9.9 million a year over the next five years, through age 29. So if he reaches All-Star status in the East, he will be a very, very good deal.

Still, we think it’s a mistake not to do deals with legitimate players that go beyond 2010-11, just to save money for a long shot chance on someone like a Lebron James or a Lebron James.

Why Yi Jianlian Is Like a Movie Star in China

One reason is that 15-foot jumper he hit from the wing with 28 seconds to go in the game against Germany. Whatever disappointment he may have caused was erased with the shot that put China in the medal round of the Olympics.

Here’s another, a series of Photoshopped movie posters available in China in which the countries athletes (and Michael Phelps) are portrayed as superheros.

Our favorites: “The Warlords”, “The Beijing” and of course, “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”.

Hopefully for his sake, none of his Net teammates order these.

On another Yi issue, we noted how Larry Krystowiak, the former Bucks coach, told HoopsWorld that the non-NBA demands on Yi were “insane”. In discussing that, Thorn noted, “Our doctors said he was one of the best physical specimens of anybody on our team. He’s young so I don’t think (it will be a problem).”

“Best physical specimen?” We took that to mean that he is in great physical shape and that his body has little wear and tear. So even if he is, as rumored but never confirmed, two or three years older, it doesn’t really matter. His body, NBA-wise, is still young. Rather have a 23-year-old without wear-and-tear than a 20-year-old with.

Jaycee Carroll to Europe.

Reading between the lines…and you didn’t have to read too closely, it appears the Nets were not that enamored with Jaycee Carroll’s immediate NBA prospects. Although Carroll averaged double figures for the Nets in both Orlando and Salt Lake City, press reports suggested that the only teams that invited him to training camp were the Raptors and Suns. Carroll played for the Raptors in Las Vegas, but didn’t have anywhere near the success he had with the Nets. There was no mention of a Net invite in any of the local stories or in the press release or email his agent sent out.

Carroll signed with Teramo of the Italian League for guaranteed dollars and with the hope of polishing his game as a combo guard overseas. He and his wife are expecting their first child before the season begins so no doubt he needs the money.

Training Camp Update.

Speaking of training camp, the Nets have asked the league office if they can open camp a few days earlier than other NBA teams because they have to head to Europe for early exhibition games with the Heat in London and Paris. You have to expect the team has already focused on several players and may have almost certainly secured some (unannounced) commitments.

Last year, the team announced their invites in mid-September, although the names of the first camp invites had been filtering out since the first week. The Nets normally have 20 players in camp. Right now, the team has 16 players, including Van Horn, under contract. The Nets have told season ticket holders they want to carry 14 players on opening night so they have some flexibility once the season starts.

Something’s got to give.

Catanella Revisited.

Ken Catanella is the Nets’ Coordinator of Statistical Analysis. Henry Abbott of TrueHoop interviewed him just before the draft. The interview got missed, we thought, in the buildup to the Nets’ biggest draft in a decade. Re-reading it this week, we thought it would be a good thing to pull some of the more interesting quotes…just to show how detailed the Nets’ scouting system gets prior to the draft. Surprised us.

“We chart, essentially, every game that every draft prospect has played on video, and we track just about every category you can imagine.

Q. Closing out the shooter, winning loose balls … all that stuff?

All that and much, much more.

“I work with one of the best teams in the League, as far bouncing ideas off people. Lawrence Frank is from that Jeff Van Gundy, Pat Riley school that really values metrics, and thinks they are worth their time.

“Every team is dealing with the same player pool, and thanks to the luxury tax and salary cap we have very similar resources. So the little advantage we get from having a coaching staff that lends insight to how we gather information to assess players … those are the types of advantages that can make a little difference…

“Lawrence Frank, for instance, will actually take us on the court, and walk us through a play. That way we can really understand what the player we get will be asked to do, and we can go and look for somebody who can do that.”

Q. Some people seem to have a good ability to tell which college characteristics will translate well to the NBA, and which will not.

“We have a system for measuring those kinds of things. There are statistical measures. There are more than a handful of numerical components, where you can compare this or that to past generations. And the longer we do this, the more years of information in our system, the smarter that system gets.

“Some of our scouts get to see 120 college games a year, too, in person. They are working with a body of knowledge that most fans could never have.”

Final Note.

Julius Hodge wrote this week in his Hoopshype blog that criticism of Chris Kaman is misplaced. Kaman, whose grandparents were German, is playing for the German Olympic Team. While no one has called him a traitor, there has been criticism. Hodge says he would do the same thing if he had the opportunity.

“I would love to play at the Olympic Games one day,” he wrote. “If not with the United States, I would be open to playing for another country, just like Chris Kaman did. I don’t get how some people call him a traitor. What’s a player to do if he gets a chance to be at something as big as the Olympic Games? I don’t think you can pass on that. To me, as an athlete, it’s just a no-brainer.”

While Kaman used the ancestral route to the German team, that’s not the only way. John Robert Holden, point guard for the Russian National Team and hero of last year’s European Championships, is an African-American who graduated from Bucknell. He got his Russian passport because he played for CSKA Moscow and now lives in the Russian capital.

Eight of the 12 players on the Nigerian National Team at the World Championships two years ago were US-born, as was the coach.

On the Nets’ roster, other than Yi, Brook Lopez can claim an easy foreign connection. His father, Heriberto, was born in Cuba. It’s not likely Brook or his brother would want to play for either of the Castro brothers’, but things change.

Doug Colllins is the NBC Sports analyst for Olympic Basketball. On Saturday, he called the China-Germany game with Mike Breen. Here is a selection of his comments on the play of Nets’ forward, Yi Jianlian.

(Yi forces Dirk Nowitzki into a bad shot)

Breen: I haven’t said this often, but I’m impressed with Yi Jianlian’s defense.

Collins: He has the capability, Mike. That’s why I was critical early in the tournament because I didn’t think he was playing up to his potential. This guy is top six pick in the NBA–tall, he can run, he can shoot the ball (but) he goes through stretches where you don’t even know he’s on the floor.

(Yi hits a shot)

Collins: Yi has a beautiful shot. If he will get in the gym and really work and get in great, great shape, he can be a very good player because he all the the tools. His shot is very sound.

Breen: If he gets the work ethic of Yao Ming, he’ll be a great player.

Collins: He’ll be a terrific player.

Breen: That’s a big if, though.

Collins: Exactly.

(Yi forces Nowitzki into a block by Sun Yue)

Breen: Yi Jianlian, he’s been solid, he’s done a good job defensively and on the boards. Yi Jianlian has taken the task of guarding Dirk Nowitizki. Nowitzki 3-of-11 from the field.

Collins: Actually, Yi did a nice job. He forced Nowitzki to spin and when did, Sun Yue was there with the nice team defense.

(Yi gets fouled by Nowitzki, goes to the line)

Breen: We talk about Yi Jianlian and how he has to prove–We have to keep reminding ourselves he is only 20 years old. Remember, we saw him in Athens when he was 16. There’s always been a dispute about whether that’s his real age, but that’s what they say.

Collins: I think that the big thing is not his age, but his commitment, how hard he wants to work. It doesn’t matter how old you are, it’s how hard you work.

(Yi loses ball on drive to the basket)

Collins: That quick first step…the young guy has a strong body. He’s an excellent leaper.

Breen: Yi Jianlian. He’s only 2-for-6 from the field. He’s played a good solid game. He’s rebounded well, he’s had a couple of steals, a couple of blocks. You’ve seen a more aggressive performance from him here than in some of the others we’ve watched.

Collins: He could be an excellent defender. You’ve seen he’s done a nice job on Dirk Nowitizki tonight. He’s got out to the three point line and challenged his shot.

(Yi forces Nowitzki into a turnover on a fast break.)

Collins: How aggressive was that though. Jianlian was underneath the basket and Dirk Nowitzki leaked out on the break. He was a good three strides behind him and forced a turnover. So he didn’t give up on the play.

(Yi makes the crucial shot with 28 seconds in the game)

Collins: Look at Yao Ming with Yi Jianlian!! This is what he wants to see from this young guy, from this kid with so much talent–steps up under pressure, knocks down a big shot.

Breen: A thunderous ovation from the crowd.

———-

ESPN’s David Thorpe–who also trains NBA players–wrote about Yi Jianlian in his Rookie Reports at various points between November and February of last season. Here is a selection of his comments, along with video highlights from some of Yi’s more productive games:

Chicago vs. Milwaukee, November 4

“I enjoy watching Yi play because he often makes the right read when it comes to half-court offense — when to post, when to slip screens, when to pop out higher as a pressure-release man. He is not putting up the numbers he did early on, but based on his mental game, he will get back in gear and be a force in this league.”

Minnesota vs. Milwaukee, Decembr 16

“Steadily making his mark, looking for his shot more and exhibiting genuine confidence. Time to ramp up the rebounding effort, though…”

Charlotte vs. Milwaukee, December 22

“Yi’s career-high 29 points, most coming from long 2-pointers, showed that he is the other Dirk-like talent from this draft, combining excellent size with great shooting skills and movement. Adding 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and a blocked shot is the stuff P.J. Carlesimo hopes to get from KD.”

Orlando vs. Milwaukee, December 11

“It’s hard for the average fan to understand just how tall most of these NBA players are. Most of these players move so well that they look like much smaller men. Remember: most of the football and baseball players we see on TV are about the same height as NBA point guards, or smaller. Yi is a great example — he’s so fluid that he looks like an ordinarily-sized man, but then you’ll see him finish a hook shot by throwing the ball down toward the rim and realize he’s about a foot taller than most football and baseball players.”

Houston vs. Milwaukee, February 2

“Another New Year’s wall hitter is Yi, who just completed his worst three-game scoring streak of the season. Yi scored just 15 points total on 6-for-26 shooting. But I like the fact that he still grabbed 20 rebounds, blocked three shots and made three steals in those games. To get through the wall, rookies must continue fighting and work on making plays each possession.”

NBA Top Ten, January 29

“So far, January is proving to be Yi’s worst month in the NBA, in terms of raw production. But I still love what I see from him on most nights from a talent perspective. His level of agility and coordination is just so impressive to watch. And he knows how to play. He could see a jump in production next season, similar to Rudy Gay’s jump from 10.8 ppg as a rookie to over 19 ppg this season.”

New Orleans vs. Milwaukee, February 13

“Yi continues to surprise me with his overall talent level, because as good as Al Horford is, Yi would win a lot of arguments over who would have been a better pick for the Hawks. Yi’s got more upside as a scorer, and probably projects better as a shot-blocker, too. Having to adjust to the American game and culture (unlike Al) suggests that when he figures it out, he’ll stand alongside Durant as one of the top two rookies of this class (Greg Oden will be considered a rookie next season).”

Doug Colllins is the NBC Sports analyst for Olympic Basketball. On Tuesday, he called the Spain-China game with Mike Breen. Here is a selection of his comments on the play of Nets’ forward, Yi Jianlian.

“Where is Yi?” … “Where is Yi?” … “Where is Yi?”

(Yao Ming fouls out trying to stop Pau Gasol from scoring underneath)

“This is where with Yi not playing well…Yi should be able to play with Pau Gasol so Yao doesn’t even have to be on him in that situation. Yi’s lack of production has really hurt his team today. I mean, Wang Zhi Zhi has played the best I have seen him play in four years. Yi has not given them what they needed today in a game with that big Spanish frontline. They need some help.”

Breen: “Yi looks really hesitant out there.”

“Yi has a lot of work to do. He’s going to that New Jersey Nets team. They traded Richard Jefferson for him.”

Doug Colllins is the NBC Sports analyst for Olympic Basketball. On Sunday, he called the Team USA-China game with Mike Breen. Here is a selection of his comment on the play of Nets’ forward, Yi Jianlian.

“I think he’s not in great shape right now. He’s 0-of-7 from the floor and I think there’s a little bit of a disconnect right now between he and Yao Ming. Yao Ming is such a committed player. I think he’s a little disappointed in Yi right now. They need him to play well to get in the round of eight…

(Yi slams a put-back over Carmelo Anthony)

“You’ve seen flashes of that as you and I have talked about, Mike, but a big part of it is you’ve got to be consistent.

“He’s a terrific athlete, a very good player but still trying to find his game.”

——

“You know he was drafted by Milwaukee…a lot of speculation he wanted to go to a bigger market. Eventually, he got his wish. He’s been traded to New Jersey. Now he’s in the metropolitan New York area there. We’ll see how he responds. Just watching him out here he’s going to have to make a commitment. He’s got to figure out what his game is. Is he going to be an ouside player? Is he going to go inside and get on the post? But he has all the skills.

(Yi scores on two straight possessions: a dunk over Dwight Howard and a post-up move on Tayshaun Prince.)

“You see the flashes of brilliance in this young guy. You saw him run the floor. That time, he posted up on Tayshaun Prince, one of the better defenders in the NBA. So all the talent is there. You get back to the intensity, the passion, the level of commitment.”

Every Sunday, we’ll be updating the Nets’ off-season with bits and pieces of information, gossip, etc. to help take the edge off missing the playoffs, relying on the Nets’ beat reporters and others who have slipped interesting data into larger stories and blogs.

A Little Yi Before the Olympic Onslaught.

By the time some of you read this, the most watched basketball game in history will have been decided. Team USA and Team China play at 10:15 a.m. Sunday on NBC. NBC has a special Olympic Basketball Channel, which you have to localize to get listings and channels.

With Yi Jianlian the only current Net in the Olympics, we will be focusing on the 7-footer til China is eliminated,whether that’s at the end of the preliminary round next weekend or in the medal round.

First off, here is the Chinese team schedule for the preliminary round, starting with Sunday’s game vs. Team USA.

Sunday, August 10 - 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon - USA vs. China

Tuesday, August 12 - 4:30 a.m. - 6:30 a.m. - China vs. Spain

Thursday, August 14 - 2:30 a.m. - 4:30 a.m. - Angola vs. China

Saturday, August 16 - 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. - China vs. Germany

Monday, August 18 - 2:30 a.m. - 4:30 a.m. – Greece vs. China

So looking at the schedule, Yi will be working against NBA big men in three of those five games. Beyond the US big men, he and Yao will be matched up with Spain’s Pau Gasol and Jorge Garbajosa and Germany’s Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman. Yao thinks Yi can handle Nowitzki: “Yi
has improved tremendously and he can limit Nowitzki. And I can take care of Kaman.” No predictions on Dwight Howard, however.

To get to the next round, China will have to make the top four of Group B, not an easy task. Yao called it the “Death Pool”. Otherwise, their Olympics end on August 18.

We recently got a translation of Yi’s comments to Chinese television the day of the trade with the Bucks. Yi spent most of the interview taling Olympics back then, but here’s what an appreciative Yi said of the Nets.

“I have high expectations to play for New Jersey. It will be a new team, a new atmosphere, and a new beginning for me,” he said, adding “the Nets worked hard to get me and I feel honored.

“They play a fast tempo and are younger, I think I can be part of the rotation in no time.”

A statistical note on Yi. There has been some question about whether he is a legitimate seven-footer. At Milwaukee’s training camp last year, Yi measured in at 6′11.25″ without shoes, 7′0.5″ with shoes, with a 7′4″ wingspan and a 38.1″ max vertical. He also had a team best and freakishly low 3.4% body fat.

Compare that to Brook Lopez, measured at the Orlando PreDraft Camp. Lopez is also 6′11.25″ without shoes, 7′0.5″ with shoes, but his wingspan is an inch and a half longer, at 7′5.5″…about the same as Sean Williams. The big differences are in max vertical and body fat.

Yi’s 38.1″ max is eight inches better than Lopez’s and his body fat, of 3.4%, is way below Lopez’s 6.3%…maybe too far.

Want to know where Yi’s vertical leap would have matched up in this year’s draft class? About the same as (fellow Mandarin speaker) Joe Alexander, billed as hyper athletic because of his 38.5″ vertical. That’s a mere five inches better than Yi.

No wonder his former Team China–and NBA veteran–coach Del Harris calls him the most athletic seven footer in the league.

Other Net Olympic Connections.

Yi is the only current Net playing in Beijing, as noted, but two former Net point guards will also be on hand in Beijing. One of course is Jason Kidd who will handle the point for Team USA. The other is Zoran Planinic, who is starting point guard for Croatia. During the winter, Planinic plays for Spanish league powerhouse Tau Ceramica in Vitoria, Spain.

Europhobia Explained.

We’re kind of amused by all this talk of top players like Lebron James and Kobe Bryant ready to go overseas if offered $40 to $50 million a season. Stephon Marbury might have to play in Italy, as he once fantasized but even Stephon knows he isn’t in their class (OK, maybe he doesn’t). But we don’t think there is a chance that either of the two best players in the world will be getting work permits stamped on the other side of the pond any time soon.

We think there is something else going on here: the first salvos in the next contract talks between the NBA and the Players’ Association. The current contract runs out June 30, 2011, unless the owners decide to extend it a year, which they almost certainly will. It’s been increasingly clear who won the last talks: the owners. Take a look at the “reasonable” salary packages being offered this off-season and the large number of players who are returning to their original teams…not to mention the fear of the luxury tax by all but a handful of NBA owners. Roster stability and the cheapest possible contracts are exactly what the owners always want.

By raising the spectre of a massive exodus to Europe, the highest paid players in the NBA are trying to level what they see as an lop-sided playing field and they’re doing it at just the right time, during the Olympics, when they have the biggest stage. They’re suggesting unless the CBA is adjusted so they can get paid their “true market value”, they will go elsewhere. The players and their agents think the current agreement puts too many restrictions on contracts, particularly for top players. What better way to change that than first suggest that there is someone out there willing to pay them $40 million or $50 million a year and then agree it would be worth leaving home to take it. Kobe even said he would beat up a teammate who didn’t accept that level of loot. (Shaq, your cue.)

There are only a few problems with this line of thinking. NO European team has offered anyone anywhere near $40 million or $50 million a year. It’s a number that suddenly plopped down in the middle of the conversation about mid-level players (including two Nets) moving to Europe. It is as likely a confection lovingly put together by an agent as it is a real number.

There are other problems as well. Take a look at the Euroleague arenas and TV contracts. You think that these facilities and contracts are going to sustain multiple big name players cavorting in places like Rome, Milan, Moscow, and Madrid? One reason the NBA likes China as a growth market is that new arenas, like the Wukesong Olympic Arena in Beijing and the Venetian Arena in Macao, where Team USA played exhibition games, are NBA-ready. European arenas are band boxes. Teams would have build a whole new network of arenas. Not going to happen. Basketball is a secondary sport in Europe.

Also, the Euro is not going to climb against the dollar forever. On Friday, the Euro suffered its biggest one-day drop against the dollar in six years. A little more parity between the two currencies and those $40 million and $50 million contracts suddenly start looking like NBA $20 million contracts.

Their Best Games.

The Nets have signed or traded for five new players this off-season. So we figured we would find their best efforts last season on NBA TV and post the links. There’s Yi Jianlian’s 29-point effort vs. the Bobcats, Bobby Simmons’ 24 points against the Knicks, Keyon Dooling’s 19 points against the Spurs, matched by Eduardo Najera’s similar effort against that same San Antonio team as well as Jarvis Hayes’ 29 points vs. the Hornets. We like Yi’s all-around game against Charlotte, Hayes’ automatic shooting performance against New Orleans, and Najera’s great clutch pass against the Spurs to beat the defending world champs.

2004 vs. 2008.

What’s rebuilding, what’s retooling and what’s giving up? The Nets contend they are not rebuilding, but retooling, although some execs have been caught using the “R” word. Some suggest what’s going on this season is similar to what took place during the summer of 2004, which started with the decisions to dump Kenyon Martin, Kerry Kittles and Lucious Harris.

Things might be bad, but they aren’t THAT bad.

We believe the Nets are cutting costs, but if they were really dumping salary, you would see a situation similar to 2004, when they signed Rodney Buford, Travis Best, Jabari Smith, Awvee Storey, Jacque Vaughn and Kyle Davis (remember him?) to minimum deals, then added Billy Thomas, Kaniel Dickens, Jerome Moiso and Donnell Harvey during the season, all to vet minimum deals or 10-day contracts. Only Vaughn remains in the NBA. They also sold the first round pick that year, passing some valuable NBA players, starting with Kevin Martin and Anderson Varejao.

The Nets have yet to sign a minimum salary player this summer…unless you count Chris Douglas-Roberts…more on his deal later. Hayes was signed to the LLE, Najera to most of the MLE, Dooling for $3.3 million, using all of a trade exception (that Rod Thorn smartly and presciently constructed during the Kidd trade negotiations). They didn’t sell off any of their picks and in fact Thorn and Kiki Vandeweghe have said they tried to move up at the end of the first round to get CDR and tried to acquire a second round pick to get Jaycee Carroll. They also signed CDR to a three-year deal (third year a team option) when all they had to do was give him a non-guranteed one year deal as a second rounder.

Finally, the Nets also constructed Keith Van Horn’s contract in such a way to make it available for use in a trade that would bring in more salary. Rather than simply waiving him after a suitable interval following the Kidd tarde, they agreed to pay him a six figure buyout so they could extend his contract until October, giving them more time and flexibility to make a deal for him.

This isn’t 2004.

Final Note.

By now, we can all recite the dates that former Nets return for the first time to the Meadowlands: Marcus Williams on November 1, Kidd on December 19, Richard Jefferson on February 3 and March 30. Yi and Yao will battle for a Super Bowl-sized audience times two on on December 22 while the Lopez twins, Brook and Robin, face off on November 4 with the Suns and new Newark developer Shaquille O’Neal come into town.

Who are we missing? Here’s who: Twin. Jason Collins makes his return on December 5 when his Minnesota Timberwolves arrive.

Q. How much room do the Nets have before they hit the luxury tax?

A. Enough to make a significant deal without having to pay the tax.

The luxury tax threshold for the coming season is $71.15 million. The Nets, according to our best estimates, currently have salary commitments of $62 million (including a buyout for Keith Van Horn), giving the Nets about $9.15 million in wiggle room. That’s also about $7 million less than last year’s payroll and puts the Nets in the middle of the pack among NBA teams, roughly 17 out of 30. Last year, the Nets’ payroll was seventh.

What does that mean in terms of flexibility on trades…if indeed the Nets are willing to spend?

Here are two examples of how the flexibility could be helpful:

–If the Nets wanted to trade Stromile Swift’s expiring contract, a draft pick or two and some cash in a straight-up trade or a sign-and-trade, he could bring back contract(s) worth $7.85 million. Additional cost to the Nets’ salary cap: $1.65 million, leaving them more than $7.5 million under the threshold.

–If the Nets wanted to trade Swift, Keith Van Horn’s contract, a draft pick and enough cash to buy out KVH, they could bring back as much as $12.6 million in contract(s). The additional cost would amount to a little less than $6 million, which would put the Nets $3.15 million short of the threshold.

One player who would fit into the first example is Andres Nocioni in a straight trade. So would J.R. Smith in a sign-and-trade. One who would fit under the second in a sign-and-trade scenario is Josh Smith. The Nets have expressed an interest in all three. All would put a crimp in the Nets plans to get way under the cap by the 2010 free agent season, however.

Our numbers are admittedly imprecise. The NBA doesn’t release official salary figures, so we’re basing our numbers on those provided by Hoopshype and DraftExpress. Neither site has complete or precise numbers…and there are a couple of significant conflicts.

Hoopshype’s breakdown includes two of the Nets’ rookies–Brook Lopez and Ryan Anderson–but not Chris Douglas-Roberts, who will earn $442,000 this season. DraftExpress doesn’t include Keyon Dooling or any of the rookies and their numbers for Devin Harris and Vince Carter are considerably lower than those reported by Hoopshype. Harris will earn $7.8 million according to Hoopshype, $7.0 million according to Draft Express. Carter will earn $15.2 million according to Hoopshype, $14.72 million according to DraftExpress, a $475,000 difference. In calculating the numbers for this exercise we decided to go with DraftExpress on Harris, Hoopshype on Carter–based primarily on what other media reported at the time the two players signed their most recent contracts.

We’re also adding a $500,000 for Van Horn’s buyout, doing a little bit of guesswork on KVH’s contract. Van Horn had to be signed to a three year deal under league rules, with only the first year guaranteed. According to reports, the second year would pay him anywhere from $3.75 million to $4.2 million but no one expects that to happen. The contract permits the Nets to keep his contract on the books for trade purposes until October. At that point, he would receive a “small” buyout when he is waived. The buyout could be more, could be less, than $500,000.

Why the change from the earlier item? Two respected capologists pointed out that while Nenad Krstic’s $2.76 million qualifying offer counts against the salary cap, it doesn’t count against the luxury tax threshold, since no money is actually expended with the QO.

Every Sunday, we’ll be updating the Nets’ off-season with bits and pieces of information, gossip, etc. to help take the edge off missing the playoffs, relying on the Nets’ beat reporters and others who have slipped interesting data into larger stories and blogs.

Carter Update.

Expect to hear what Vince Carter thinks of the Nets’ off-season moves. Carter will be at the Nets’ practice facility starting Monday. That’s when he brings his annual Youth Basketball Academy to New Jersey.

He’ll also be asked how he’s feeling. Carter was told to take four months off following his April surgery. That means he should be able to begin practicing again this month…if he hasn’t already.

Final Pieces.

Word from the back rooms of the front office is that fans shouldn’t expect more than a few “tweaks” for the rest of the summer, that the roster now is “pretty close” to what it will look like in October when the Nets fly to Europe for their exhibition games in London and Paris.

As noted before, the Nets have the assets if they want to make a move, with two first round picks (Dallas unprotected in 2010 and Golden State protected in 2011, etc.), the expiring contracts of Keith Van Horn and Stromile Swift and a lot of room before the team gets close to the luxury tax threshold.

They’re still reluctant to go with any long-term deals, however, which would seem to rule out a sign-and-trade for a restricted free agent. No doubt if the Hawks decided to gift the Nets with Josh Smith, Rod Thorn and Kiki Vandeweghe would jump at it, and reportedly there were discussions. We wonder if there were a similar opportunity with any other free agent, like say J.R. Smith, they’d be willing to take the risk.

It’s not that a third year is a complete deal-killer. The Nets have, in all but one of their free agent signings, made some commitment for the 2010-11 season. Eduardo Najera will make $3 million that season—and $2.8 million the next; Keyon Dooling reportedly has a $500,000 guarantee on the $3.8 million third year of his deal; and Chris Douglas-Roberts has an $850,000 team option in 2010-11 as well in his (extraordinary for a second rounder) three-year deal. Only Jarvis Hayes has a contract that stops dead before 2010-11. (The Nets will also have to decide this fall whether to extend the contracts of Josh Boone, Yi Jianlian, Sean Williams and yes, Maurice Ager, all of whom are still on their rookie contracts.)

Lost Gifts.

The news that Nenad Krstic was headed off to Russia, coming just after Marcus Williams was traded to Golden State, made us wonder if the Nets’ player development mantra is as important as we’ve been led to believe.

Player development is a lot of things, from improving player skillsets to helping players understand the value of conditioning to rehabilitation from injuries to simply maintaining a young player’s confidence. The loss of Williams and Krstic, two players who originally were seen as the steals of their respective drafts, leads us to question how committed the team is to making sure players reach their full potential or return to it after an injury.

We know all about the players’ responsibility and second and third chances. We also know that no other team wanted to make commitments in terms of trading assets (Williams) or paying big bucks (Krstic). And we know of Thorn’s excellent record in knowing when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘m. But our sense is that the Nets could easily regret both these moves and in the not too distant future. We don’t wish either Williams or Krstic ill…we hope they both succeed…but we don’t look forward to the weeping and gnashing of teeth that comes with seeing them succeed elsewhere.

And nothing we have seen the last few weeks deters us from our stated belief that the Nets’ current financial strategy is as much about saving money—period–as it is about saving money for Lebron.

Ratner Wins Again.

It hardly made a ripple but Bruce Ratner won another court battle this week. One of the original investors in Ratner’s effort to buy the Nets sued a year ago claiming Ratner had reneged on promises to put him on the Nets Board of Directors. Eugene Greene invested $6 million in the Nets and claimed to have brought in investors who contributed another $25 to $30 million. In return, Greene believed he had been promised perks from Ratner including the seat on the team’s board of governors.

“You will be the glue that helps run this team,” Ratner allegedly told Greene (in what has to be one of the oddest metaphors ever).

When Greene didn’t get what he wanted, he sued. A state court judge dismissed the case, noting the team had returned Greene’s investment in 2004, shortly after Ratner bought the team. Greene may appeal.

Any appeal would have no impact on the construction of the Nets’ new arena. The last case that could moves back into state court next month when critics will appeal a lower court ruling dismissing their challenges to the project’s Environmental Impact Statement. Critics, who have yet to win in court, filed another lawsuit aimed at stopping the arena on Friday, but with fewer plaintiffs. It’s been reported that some of the original plaintiffs have settled with Ratner and sold their properties to him.

Meanwhile, in spite of the continuing credit crisis, Ratner is moving ahead on two major residential complexes, one in Lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn, an indication he still has ready sources of financing. Both projects are now under construction. The Manhattan site, at 60 Beekman Place, will rise 76 stories while the Brooklyn site at 80 DeKalb, will rise 36 stories. Frank Gehry, the architect for the Barclays Center, is also the architect on the Lower Manhattan project.

Watching Yi.

Learn how to set your DVR’s, TIVO’s or VCR’s because Yi will be playing at odd hours for Team China.

Here’s the preliminary round schedule…China is in the very tough Group B.

Sunday, August 10 - 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon - USA vs. China

Tuesday, August 12 - 4:30 a.m. - 6:30 a.m. - China vs. Spain

Thursday, August 14 - 2:30 a.m. - 4:30 a.m. - Angola vs. China

Saturday, August 16 - 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. - China vs. Germany

Monday, August 18 - 2:30 a.m. - 4:30 a.m. – Greece vs. China

So looking at the schedule, Yi will be working against NBA big men in three of those five games. Beyond the US big men, he and Yao will be matched up with Spain’s Pau Gasol and Jorge Garbajosa and Germany’s Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman.

To get to the next round, China will have to make the top four of Group B, not an easy task. Otherwise, their Olympics end on August 18.

NBC will have a special Olympic Basketball Channel and don’t be surprised if you hear a familiar voice. Chris Carrino, the Nets’ radio play-by-player announcer, will be calling a lot of them, along with Snapper Jones.

Covering Krstic.

We don’t think Krstic will be back, in spite of the Nets’ decision to extend him a qualifying offer next season and presumably in 2009 as well. We think it’s about preserving assets–to keep Krstic’s rights for sign-and-trade purposes, not to bring him back. There is a lot of bitterness now, particularly over whether the Nets’ rehab strategy helped or hurt him.

Still, we will continue to check in on his progress in Russia. Like Christian Drejer and Mile Ilic before him, Krstic is a Net asset and so you’ll see intermittent reports on how he is doing. We also hope Milan Lazarevic, our Belgrade correspondent, will continue translating articles in the Serbian language press. As we’ve learned, Krstic is often more open talking to the media there than here.

Blogging Nets.

Two players who are likely to be in the Nets’ training camp have launched blogs this week, Yi has an English blog sponsored by Nike and Julius Hodge has one on Hoopshype.

Expect Yi to focus on what’s going on at the Wukesong arena, where the Olympic basketball teams will be playing, while Hodge’s will be looking at what’s going on closer to home, at the Nets practice facility in East Rutherford.

Final Note.

Many, many thanks to Dumpy for filling in while we were in Asia, the Middle and Far East. Not only was there no down time for the site, Tuesday’s traffic was the third heaviest ever, right behind February 19, the day of the Jason Kidd trade, and June 26, the day of the Richard Jefferson trade and Draft Night. It’s a shame the busiest days we’ve seen are those when a Net stalwart heads elsewhere.

For the past year or so, Devin Harris’ life has spun almost as quickly off the court as the PG spins around defenders on it. Now that he’s settling down in New Jersey, the only moving Harris wants to do is back into the playoffs.

By Russ Bengston, SLAM

Devin Harris has had a busy year, and even for a guy who like that kid from The Incredibles, he’s gotta be ,after splitting the summer of ‘07 between his native Milwaukee and adopted Chicago (and scrimmaging against Team USA in Las Vegas), he started the season in Dallas and ended it in New Jersey, with all the requisite NBA travel between. And as soon as the regular season ended, with his Nets missing the Playoffs, Harris was on his way back to Dallas to watch his former team fizzle against the Hornets. So in May, trying to catch up, I send him what seems like a logical text message: “Are you in Dallas or New Jersey?” The answer, quick in coming, either makes no sense, or all the sense in the world: “Actually, I’m in Virginia.”

He’s in Virginia for his sister’s college graduation. Having just left Dallas before that, he’ll then head to Miami for a couple of days to relax, then return to Dallas to try and sell his home, then back to Milwaukee and over to Chicago to start working out with trainer Tim Grover sometime in the beginning of June. After that he’ll visit new teammates Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter at their respective summer spots before coming back to New Jersey to get started on a brand-new season. Whew. Everything in Devin’s life moves, and it moves fast. Except, of course, for the trade that brought him to New Jersey for All-Star Jason Kidd.

Harris first heard that he might get dealt on January 26th, the same day he injured his ankle in a win over Denver. Details slowly merged. Too slowly. Week passed. Rumors swirled. And as Devin sat home waiting to be able to ply, he wondered who exactly he’d be playing for. Even when the trade was officially announced, it wasn’t, well, official. “It was like, okay, this day, I’m going, this day, I’m not,” he says. “And then it got to a point where if I didn’t go, it would be too weird.”

Finally on February 18, closure. Harris, along with DeSagana Diop, Trenton Hassell, Maurice Ager, a resigned Keith Van Horn and two first round picks, was sent to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Kidd, Malik Allen and Antoine Wright. Harris, still unable to play on his bad ankle, instead sat down with Nets head coach Lawrence Frank for an hour to find out what was expected of him.

“Basically, what we talked about was, ‘before I put limitations on what you can and cannot do, the door is gonna be open for ya,” Frank says. “You’re going to get an opportunity to show me what you’re able to do and things we want you to avoid. It was basically just giving him the rope to see what he could do with it.”

The news lifted a huge weight off the 6-3, 185-pound Harris’ back. While then-Dallas coach Avery Johnson had vowed to let him be more of a leader in his fourth year, things weren’t moving as quickly as he would have liked. “I think just because he had me since Day One he was compelled to micromanage and make sure he controlled things I was doing on the floor,” Harris says. “At first, it was pretty much his way or the highway,” he laughs. “But the more time I spent, the more of a compromise we got.”

Still, it was nice to have a coach just throw him the keys to the high-powered offense and say “have at it”. And when Harris finally took the floor in New Jersey on February 28th, the day after his 25th birthday, he came off the bench and put the pedal to the metal. Quicker with the ball that most are without, Harris lit the Bucks up for 20 points in 21 minutes. YouTubed Andrew Bogut with a nasty dunk, flicked a perfect alley-oop to Vince Carter on the break. Apparently fitting in was not going to a problem. “You just come in and do what you’re good at and try to get them to accept you as a player,” Harris says now. “And I did that in New Jersey in one game.”

Frank didn’t expect it to go any other way. “Everyone wants to embrace the point guard, because they want the ball,” he says. “Those guys are usually the most popular guys on the team because they decide when and how you catch it. It’s usually the big guy who’s alone in the corner.”

It was fitting that Harris would make his Nets debut against the Bucks. He grew up in Milwaukee, playing AAU ball for a team sponsored by then-Bucks coach George Karl. He also went to Bucks practices, observing the likes of Ray Allen, Sam Cassell, and Glen Robinson. “We ran a lot of their plays,” Harris says. “We had a good sense watching them play and watching them work out, we got a great sense of what they do and how to be effective.

After excelling at Wauwatosa East high (which also produced former NBA player Tony Smith, a mentor to Harris), Harris went to on to Wisconsin, where he played for Bo Ryan and won a pair of Big Ten titles. Speed was his forte, and size wasn’t so he also wound up with a change of position. “When I got here, I was a 6-3 2 guard,” Harris says. “and they kind of developed me into a point guard and taking on those leadership roles.”

He stepped into the starting lineup as a freshman and didn’t leave until he declared for the NBA Draft. Selected by the Washington Wizards fifth overall in 2004, he was immediately traded to Dallas, where he was expected to bide his time behind All-Star Steve Nash. Instead, Nash signed with Phoenix and Harris—after a successful summer league stint with fellow rookies Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels—once again found himself inserted directly into the starting lineup.

It didn’t last long this time. Dallas had also acquired veteran guard Jason Terry. So Harris only started 19 games that first year, then just four the next. After missing a good portion of his second season with a leg injury, he came back in time for the Playoffs, however, and that’s where he truly blossomed. In a hard-fought Western Conference semifinals against the defending Spurs, he reeled off games of 20, 24, and 18 points in Games 2, 3 and 4, beating Tony Parker at his own game as the Mavs took control of the series.

After a tough loss in the NBA Finals to the Miami Heat, the Mavericks came back determined in ‘06-07. “You could see in our demeanor as we came out, we just kind of ran through the regular season,” Harris says. “It didn’t end the way we wanted to, but was definitely in our mindset.”

That would be an understatement. Harris top-seeded Mavs won 67 games, rested up at the end of the season, and then went down in flames in the first round to the underdog Warriors. “Trying to go from the intensity we were at to Playoff intensity,” Harris says, “we just didn’t get there quick enough.” For his part, Harris posted 13.2 points and five assists per in the series, both well above his season averages. He came back in the fall of ’07 with three things—the proverbial 15 pounds of muscle, a brand-new five-year contract extension and his usual bright smile and positive attitude. A few months later, though, the Mavericks chose to go in a different direction. (A few months after that, after another first round exit, the Mavericks chose to go in a very different direction. A-very, get it? But that’s another story.)

And while Kidd struggled to adapt to Avery and the Mavericks, Harris flourished. “Mr. Whoosh” established new personal game records for points, rebounds, assists, steals and field goals in his 25 games with the Nets—he racked up 19 and 12 in a win over Utah, 26 and 9 in a win over Atlanta, 22 and 15 in a win over Indiana. He averaged 16.6 points and 7 assists per as a Net, and the fast-breaking New Jersey offense actually got faster. “I think that’s where we’re most successful,” Harris says. “When we’re getting up and down the floor offensively, playing a lot out of transition, scoring a lot of points.”

(It’s perhaps worth noting in Harris’ um defense, that he speaks about playing on the other side of the ball as well. When asked what he brings with him from Dallas, the first thing he mentions is “a good defensive sense” and he says—twice—that “defensively is where we got to get better,” but while defense may very well win championships, it doesn’t make for exciting magazine articles. Let’s get back to offense. Coach?)

“I didn’t realize offensively he could do as many things as he’s done for us so far,” Frank says. “He had better vision than we thought. He sees guys, he’s able to get the ball to guys, so offensively he’s better than we thought.”

And although the Nets wound up missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2000-01 season, the future looks bright. Losing a future Hall of Famer is never easy, but Jason Kidd was 34 years old and not getting any younger. In trading for Harris, the Nets effectively turned back the clock..

“I think Devin, really this year was the first year he got an opportunity—both in Dallas and here—to take a little more ownership in the team,” Frank says. “I feel like he’s really, really gonna benefit from training camp, from just getting acclimated, plus I think he can really assert himself, take another step.”

If taking another step means taking over the Nets, Harris feels more than up to the challenge. “I think in order for us to be successful, it’s something I have to do. They wanted me for a reason, and obviously good teams with good point guards usually have good leadership, but I definitely have to put my stamp on it and really make it my own.

“I’m just focused on trying to get Jersey back to the playoffs, and then everything goes from there.”

Source: “Mondo”, Interview by Nikola Jankovic and B92, Serbian internet portal
Translated by Milan Lazarevic

Nenad Krstic, Serbian national player, stayed in Russia after tournament in Moscow, while all other players from Serbian squad went to China to play on Diamond ball. A reason is not injury, or disqualification from national team, but his trying to find a new team.
In interview for “Mondo” he’s saying that NBA is not a “must do” thing.

“I’ll stay in Moscow for day or two… I’m trying to finish details about new contract”, Krstic said in Monday afternoon.

MONDO: Is Triumph your new option?

Krstic: There’s some true about that… But, I don’t want to talk about details, it’ really too early. I don’t want to talk about that because there are other offers from NBA, Europe and Russia. I expect that I’ll sign new contract as soon as possible, because I really want to join to my national teammates in China.

MONDO: So, you don’t exclude an option to stay in Europe?

Krstic: I don’t… NBA is not my priority. Actually, recently NBA was really unfair with players who have one year till the end of the contract. Those players’ rights are seriously in danger.

MONDO: There are so many players who left NBA this year: Navarro, Garbajosa…

Krstic: NBA clubs are trying maximally to make lower my price on market. I know how good I am and how much effort and work I invested in myself during career. I don’t want let NBA clubs to put me on so low level. That’s maybe good for them, but I know how much I deserve.

MONDO: Is money your only motive to come back to Europe?

Krstic: No. European basketball is closer and closer to NBA quality, and so many players are coming to Europe from there. It’s not secret that European clubs, especially Russian, are bringing players with much better financial contract details then in USA.

MONDO: Is Euroleague one of main factors in choosing club?

Krstic: I would like if I can sign for some Euroleague club, but that will not be a main factor.

MONDO: Are you satisfied with latest performances by National team? Serbian public is positively surprised with wins against Latvia, Ukraine and Russia…

Krstic: Since first day I started to work with Dusan Ivkovic I realised that it would be something special. Besides good work we have good atmosphere, because all players are close to each other because of our age. We know each other since we were playing for youth Serbian National teams. Tournament in Moscow was just a first one and it doesn’t mean a lot. Some other things are much more important, like: exceptional attitude for work and responsibility.

MONDO: You grow up in European system of trainings, but during last few years you were working in NBA style… Are you satisfied with returning to European way of work?

Krstic: Of course, I’m very pleased, except fact that I’m practicing now two times per day. I used to have on one, but longer practice. That’s NBA style of work. But, I’m very happy that I’m working now “old” exercises. I started in such school and it’s naturally that I’m pleased with them.
MONDO: Also, you’re speaking Serbian again…

Krstic: Finally! After everything I survived last two years, after all injuries, it’ very good to be again with old friends. I’m very happy that I work again with our coaches and that people around me are speaking Serbian language.

MONDO: Do you still have problems with your knee injury?

Krstic: No. I must say that. Since first day in National team I have special program for practicing, especially in gym where I’m working with Bata Zimonjic to make my leg stronger. Our coaching stuff has many credits because that injury is part of history now, because they helped me in many ways to return back. Firstly, there were some small pains because I dint play last two and half months, but since I found strength pains disappeared, just like fear that I would injure again. Thank god, that’s beside me…

B92: Krstic got offer from Russian Triumph and stayed in Russia, while all other players went to China. There are equal chances for him to stay in NBA and to come back to Europe. Nets made new contract offer and Cleveland Cavaliers are also interested.

“Krstic has to make decision where he will continue his career and because of that he will stay in Russia or he will go to USA to sign new contract. Depend on that fact he will come to China to play with us, or he will come back to Belgrade where he will wait for us to continue with practicing”, Dusan Ivkovic, Serbian national team head-coach, said.

“Nenad was working perfectly during last whole month and he’s on the good road to completely recover and come back to form which he had before accidents with injuries which he had last year. He was with us since very first day, even he didn’t have signed contract, and he was completely without insurance, practically free agent. I think it’s better for our team that Krstic finally solve this problem and then join team and continue with work.”, Ivkovic said.