NBA - Sports Rumors

Sat Jun 28, 2008 7:50 am EDT

Nets remake roster yet Carter remains centerpiece

By Joe Zedalis

Vince Carter

Getty Images

After their trade of Richard Jefferson on Thursday, and with eight players on the roster team with two years of experience or less, it's obvious that the Nets are in a rebuilding mode. And while it may look as if the Nets are ready to sacrifice the next two seasons so that they can make a major run at potential free agent LeBron James in 2010 - just in time for their scheduled move to Brooklyn — there may be some reason for whatever fans remain in New Jersey to be hopeful.

The fact that the team still has Vince Carter is one of them. The Star Ledger of Newark reported Thursday that the Nets nixed an offer from the Cavaliers to swap Carter, who has four years left on his contract, for Wally Szczerbiak, who has one year remaining on his deal.

Also, following Thursday night's draft, during which the Nets selected Stanford 7-footer Brook Lopez with the 10th pick, California forward Ryan Anderson with the 21st and Memphis swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts with the 40th, general manager Kiki Vandeweghe hinted that the team the Nets had assembled likely wouldn't be the one they head into next season with.

The Nets are expected to dip into the free-agent market and also now have a stockpile of players who can be used as chips in a trade.

Source: New York Daily NewsNew Window

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84 Comments

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  1. A Yahoo! User
    1. Posted by A Yahoo! User Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:09 am EDT

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    yay
  2. jaffe
    2. Posted by jaffe Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:40 pm EDT

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    carter had top 5 talent,but he aint got the mindset
  3. Justin
    3. Posted by Justin Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:28 pm EDT

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    Its good to see the Nets making changes and also that they seem not to be done. We seem a little low with small forwards now that Jefferson is gone maybe they'll get one in free agency unless Boki is gonna start (if he resigns that is) and have Ryan Anderson be back up.
  4. Ryan H
    4. Posted by Ryan H Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:57 pm EDT

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    Nets wont get Lebron, sorry maybe next decade. Cavs are going to do everything they can to keep him in Ohio. Give him more money, sell their souls to get him good teammates....whatever it takes. That would be like Jordan leaving the Bulls....wont happen.
  5. Mikki D
    5. Posted by Mikki D Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:20 pm EDT

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    they wont get lebron~
  6. WK
    6. Posted by WK Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:40 pm EDT

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    I agree with poster #2, he was probably the most athletic player in the league 6 years ago. He used to leap over everybody! Remember that dunk he made in the Olympics? He literally dunked over that 7-footer! He jumped over the guy! Now he's getting older and he has lost his explosiveness, last season he drove to the basket on several occasions but was more of a jump shooter. Let's hope he gets a chance to be surrounded by good talent this year
  7. roach
    7. Posted by roach Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:35 pm EDT

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    5, Cleveland is TOO small a market for Lebron. Enjoy him for the next 2 years, after that....bye. Big marketting executives will drive him to a bigger venue for more exposure and profitability. Look at Shaq and Orlando. Where did he go after that? Look at KG, where did he get his ring? As for Jordan, he started at a big market city like Chicago and they could afford him. It's wishful thinking that he will stay in Cleveland and even if he does, he won't get a ring there. TV ratings were dismal when Cavs were in finals. Besides Brooklyn has new arena to fill. It's all about the profit.
  8. philiafan14364
    8. Posted by philiafan14364 Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:09 pm EDT

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    Clevelands got the hometown discount, theyre the team that drafted him, and theyre the team that hes going to stay on. Why does everyone think that they will just let him walk into the sunset? Hes staying in Ohio.
  9. carl
    9. Posted by carl Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:18 pm EDT

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    hard to believe vince carter's 98-99 upper deck sp authentic rookie card once fetched almost 4000.00.....crazy
  10. Kevin L
    10. Posted by Kevin L Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:51 pm EDT

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    He will never leave ohio 1st of all the cavs have the bird contract on him were they can offer more money than any other team an he wont leave clevland because there not a bad team just because they dont make it 2 the finals every year dont mean nothin they made it last year some players stay in the game an they never get a chance 2 be in the finals
  11. frAn
    11. Posted by frAn Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:58 pm EDT

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    "That would be like Jordan leaving the Bulls....wont happen."
    jordan did leave the bulls, joining the wiz 2 years after..
    if the lebron still isn;t satisfied with his supporting cast, i'd say he'll leave the cavs.
  12. David G
    12. Posted by David G Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:06 pm EDT

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    Hey Ryan H, You said Lebron leaving Cleveland would be like Jordan leaving the Bulls, and it wouldn't happen. Didn't Jordan leave the ulls and play a couple of seasons for the Wizards???
  13. Edwin
    13. Posted by Edwin Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:51 pm EDT

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    This team will be good, But Carter has been through it all and being a teacher for a bunch of youngsters may bring his basketball career to an end in New Jersey. Young (Rookie) talent doesn't always equate to NBA championships. Ask the Clippers.
  14. Prem V
    14. Posted by Prem V Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:18 pm EDT

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    He played with the bulls for 14-15 years before retiring and then going to the Wiz. Even when he came back from baseball in 95, he made his return to the bulls, not any other franchise.
  15. PM
    15. Posted by PM Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:14 pm EDT

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    Carter isn't too fond of playing for teams that are rebuilding. We all remember what happened at the end of his stay in Toronto. He faked injuries to avoid playing, and when he did play, he dogged it on the court to intentially bring down his own trade value. Somehow that season he went from averaging 15ppg with the Raptors to over 27ppg with the Nets...hmmmm...
  16. PM
    16. Posted by PM Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:14 pm EDT

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    And to all the people saying that LeBron won't leave the Cavs, don't underestimate the Jay-Z connection. LeBron has stated many times in interviews that he doesn't just want to be "basketball player rich", he wants to be wealthy beyond basketball, and he knows that if he wants to be in a position to take himself as a brand worldwide, that starts with being in a bigger market in the US. And what bigger market is there than NY, when the Nets move to Brooklyn. Plus, for some reason I just see Kiki V putting together a better team by 2010 for Lebron to join than Danny Ferry can in Cleavland.
  17. sergeant1217
    17. Posted by sergeant1217 Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:14 pm EDT

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    Kristic and Lopez are the same player, 7' 260. I see a Kristic sign and trade for Rashard McCants.
  18. roach
    18. Posted by roach Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:35 pm EDT

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    signing with one team is only a small part in making money. cleveland can offer him the biggest contract but then what? What about endorsements? Do you really think Nike or the NBA or TV ratings will pass up a marketting ICON like James so he can play in small market Cleveland? The guy knows he needs EXPOSURE and that's what he'll get in a big city. I hope for people in Ohio that James can win it for you guys in the next 2 years, if not Enjoy him in another big town. Just ask Orlando when Shaq left their city.
    It's BUSINESS!!!!! gone are the days where sports figures are loyal to their teams......gotta make the money WHERE you can!
  19. getachew t
    19. Posted by getachew t Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:14 pm EDT

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    This is a baseless rumor.
    james is from ohio.
    the team is trying toget better, probably win in 2011 or 2012 ,if they match man by man against lakers.
    They will get eastern confrence again if they get a dependable SG that can play in and out in the coming season.May be carter ot michael redd or Arenas or one of the shooters from indiana. They are working hard to convince james that they can win. Can he win? it is up to him.he develp as a leader, rebounder asisit shooter.He need some body who could get attention to be defended at times of difficulty.His out side shooting will fall if their is another star in the team. cdo you remember that he shoot 70%for USA team last summer?
  20. Jax
    20. Posted by Jax Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:26 pm EDT

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    @22
    And what history of championship success do the Cavs have? Oh wait, they've never won a championship before. Lebron has said numerous times that he loves the city of New York. Remember him wearing a Yankees hat at an Indians home playoff game last year? He's also extremely close to Jay-Z who's a part owner of the Nets. You say the NY teams have nothing to offer to Lebron. Fine, what does Cleveland have anything to offer Lebron other than money? Lebron is more than just a basketball player. It's clear that he wants to be a business mogul just like his buddy Jay-Z. And there's no better place to build up a business empire than in NYC.
  21. jc.2324
    21. Posted by jc.2324 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:30 pm EDT

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    lebron needs to go to the lakers ,cavs does not have the the respect level to give him after taking them to the finals other teams is getting better like raptors,magic,boston, lakers ,utah,blazers,all teams that can probably d him up in finals good gaurds and big men that wont let him get in the paint with lakers odom leaving in a year or 2 and kobe getting old with a young team if he can hold on i see lakers winning next five out of six or maybe 6 out of 7 but if lebron goes to la when kobe gets old they have another jordan stepping.a look at what i see lineup fisher,or farmar,kobe ,king james, gasol ,bymun at least10 rings at least before his career is over boston defense cant hold both of them
  22. jc.2324
    22. Posted by jc.2324 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:30 pm EDT

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    i forgot to mention la bench mob will make teams pay with all them shooters
  23. jc.2324
    23. Posted by jc.2324 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:30 pm EDT

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    i forgot to mention la bench mob will make teams pay with all them shooters
  24. The H8ed
    24. Posted by The H8ed Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:17 pm EDT

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    Trade VC for CMAGG and Elton Brand for Shawn Marion...just swap the expiring contracts of all 4 players...everyone gets what they need...corey will get his wish to be the vocal point while the nets rebuild, vc gets a big market change of scenery, brand goes to a team that covetted him before he resigned with the clippers giving the heat flexibility to run beasley at the 3 and trading haslem for a better pg (luke ridnour, kyle lowry, carlos arroyo..heck maybe even mo will), shawn marion wants a longer term home where he would be needed...the clippers get marion's expiring contract to make the choice to resign...and they would end up with a starting line up of
    Livingston/smush/egordon/brevin knight
    VC
    Al Thornton
    Shawn Marion
    Kaman
    They would be insanely athletic and could play full court OR half court ball....WOW
    Go clippers!
  25. jc.2324
    25. Posted by jc.2324 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:30 pm EDT

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    not a enough for la

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