New Jersey Nets News

Nets have ammo for 'Melo deal
Comment
September 3
New York Post
 
"Sure, the Nuggets reportedly have informed at least five interested teams that Carmelo Anthony is not on the market. But should Denver get to the point where it realizes it's trade him or lose him, one team thought to have a real shot to land him via a sign-and-trade is the Nets. Nets general manager Billy King steadfastly has maintained a "no comment" stance on any trade possibilities and did so again yesterday. But the Nets have enough pieces, including 10 draft picks over three years and young players, to devise a trade for Anthony. In recent years, that has been the way teams have gone if dealing franchise players -- seeking picks and cap relief over star power-for-star power deals."
Nets' assets enough to attract Carmelo Anthony?
Comment
September 2
Bergen Record
 
"The Nets mostly have 20-somethings, players with expiring contracts and 10 draft picks in the next three years. Some combination of those assets could be the package the Nuggets want if they decide to trade Carmelo Anthony. He reportedly is unhappy in Denver and his wife, television personality and Brooklyn native La La Vasquez, wants Anthony in New York. The reports say the Knicks are his (and her) top choice. But the Nets have to be in the mix as much as any team because of their flexibility and roster, not to mention their future move to Brooklyn. First, though, new Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri wants to meet with Anthony and see what it will take to have him sign the $65 million"
Nets 'legit' suitors in race for 'Melo
Comment
August 28
New York Post
 
"The Denver Nuggets yesterday officially named Masai Ujiri as their executive vice president of basketball operations. That phone ringing in the background could be Nets general manager Billy King calling. With All-Star Carmelo Anthony and his representatives having delivered a virtual ultimatum to the Nuggets about trading him, the Nets are viewed as one of the teams with the strongest chance of landing the 6-foot-8 forward. Why? "They have the pieces to trade and the draft picks," one NBA team executive said. "He'd play for them. Yes, I do think the Nets have a legit shot.""
Nets' Troy Murphy ready to roll with it
Comment
August 20
Bergen Record
 
"Troy Murphy knows the drill. He returns to his home-state Nets as the owner of a one-year expiring contract that's of the size (nearly $12 million) that makes him attractive not only to his new team (for future salary-cap space), but other potential suitors in potential trades. Perhaps, for instance, a deal for Carmelo Anthony, who reportedly has the Nets "on his list." He's also part of a revamped roster that features plenty of attractive chips that new general manager Billy King could use going forward and that will clear out enough cap space next summer to sign a big-ticket free agent. For instance, again, that Carmelo guy. "We have flexibility," King said Thursday during Murphy's"
A Jersey boy comes home
Comment
August 20
New York Post
 
"Troy Murphy hopes his New Jersey homecoming lasts more than one season -- and is not just a means to a possible Carmelo Anthony end. Murphy grew up in Sparta, in northwest New Jersey, and was one of those dozens of Nets fans in the 1980s and early '90s. For the 2001 draft, he wished Nets, but landed on a struggling Golden State team and later was traded to a struggling Indiana team. He has yet to experience a playoff game. So fortune and a phone call by Nets general manager Billy King to the Pacers started the gears that finally brought the 6-foot-11, nine-season veteran to the Nets at age 30, following a 14.6 ppg, 10.2 rpg double-double season. Murphy has one year ($11.968 million)"
Homeward bound, newest Net Troy Murphy is all for it
Comment
August 19
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"He has an answer for everything. Maybe they are the prefabricated and sanitized answers that come automatically after nine sobering seasons in the NBA, but it's probably more than that in Troy Murphy's case. They are the reactions of a guy who senses he is about to experience a rebirth — and ready for anything. "It's not just because I'm from Jersey, but I couldn't understand when all these free agents were looking for places to go that so many of them overlooked the Nets," the Nets' new power forward said. "Really, look at it ... objectively: Besides a great young center and an All-Star point guard, all the pieces are in place for this to be a very good team very quickly once we develop"
Ex-Net Lee gets new start with Rockets
Comment
August 19
New York Post
 
"In two seasons, Courtney Lee has already experienced the extreme highs and absolute lows of the NBA. As a rookie, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard played a key role for Orlando during the Magic's run to the NBA Finals in 2009. He was then traded to the Nets and languished through one of the worst seasons in league history last year. He's eager to erase those memories with his new team, the Houston Rockets, who acquired him in a four-team trade last week that sent swing man Trevor Ariza to New Orleans. The Rockets formally introduced Lee at a news conference on Wednesday. "I feel it's a good fit for me. There are a lot of quality guys on this team that put winning first," Lee said. "I fit in"
Nets may have shot to get Melo
Comment
August 19
New York Post
 
"Oh goody. Now we can go on Melo watch. But it could actually be worth it this time for the Nets. The Nets, who for obvious tampering reasons cannot and will not comment publicly on the situation, are intent on making all inquiries into the possibility of landing Denver's Carmelo Anthony. Several league sources insisted the Nuggets star might be interested in relocating to the Nets -- who plan to be in Brooklyn, Anthony's birthplace, in two seasons. Nets GM Billy King declined comment on the matter, but it is apparent the Nets have interest, plus pieces to acquire the star, and will explore all necessary avenues. They have made no calls yet because there's nobody to call. Denver is without"
Sources: Carmelo open to multiyear deal with Rockets or Nets
Comment
August 18
SI.com
 
"Should the Denver Nuggets elect to trade Carmelo Anthony, the New York Knicks are believed to be the All-Star forward's first choice for a new home. But they are not his only option. Multiple league sources familiar with his situation told SI.com that Anthony would also be open to signing a long-term deal with Houston or New Jersey should either of those teams offer the Nuggets an acceptable trade package. Getting Anthony, 26, to agree to an extension is the key to any deal as he can become a free agent after the 2010-11 season. Denver has offered Anthony a three-year, $65 million extension, but he has balked at signing it and is reportedly looking for a way out. Because acquiring Anthony"
N.Y. teams limited in offerings for Carmelo Anthony
Comment
August 18
Denver Post
 
"Sports fans in Denver have temporarily stopped talking Tebow and Tulo to talk trade. As in, will the Nuggets trade Carmelo Anthony or risk losing him for nothing after next season? Nuggets' top management is meeting to determine its next move, with Melo having shown no indication he's interested in signing the team's three-year, $65 million offer. The Nuggets, as reported by Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post, are determined to get something for Anthony before he becomes a free agent next summer should he not sign the extension. They saw what happened to Cleveland (LeBron James) and Toronto (Chris Bosh) this summer, and they know how bad Cleveland and Toronto look to be this season after"
N.Y. teams limited in offerings for Melo; Nuggets' management figuring out next move
Comment
August 18
Denver Post
 
"Sports fans in Denver have temporarily stopped talking Tebow and Tulo to talk trade. As in, will the Nuggets trade Carmelo Anthony or risk losing him for nothing after next season? Nuggets' top management is meeting to determine its next move, with Melo having shown no indication he's interested in signing the team's three-year, $65 million offer. The Nuggets, as reported by Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post, are determined to get something for Anthony before he becomes a free agent next summer should he not sign the extension. They saw what happened to Cleveland (LeBron James) and Toronto (Chris Bosh) this summer, and they know how bad Cleveland and Toronto look to be this season after"
Rod Thorn takes over Philadelphia 76ers, denies leaving Nets over dealings with Mikhail Prokhorov
Comment
August 13
New York Daily News
 
"Rod Thorn gave a farewell interview last month that carried the tone and content of a retirement ceremony. He detailed memories that traced back to his days in the ABA, long before his 10-year stint with the Nets. He said he was considering a job in television, or maybe as a consultant. At 69 years old with nearly five decades in professional basketball, Thorn didn't seem in any rush to return to the front office. But he left open the possibility. "I just want to see what options I have," he said. "I'll see what transpires." Thorn was introduced Thursday as the president of the 76ers, joining a Nets division rival less than three weeks after his contract expired. Although the time line"
In filling power forward hole, Nets bring Troy Murphy back home
Comment
August 12
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"The Nets have landed their starting power forward, and in an ancillary benefit, he happens to be a Jersey Guy. Troy Murphy, the Sparta native who is one of those rare NBA commodities -- a double-double machine -- was acquired from the Indiana Pacers today in a four-team, five-player trade that cost the Nets starting two-guard Courtney Lee. The deal is low-risk and high-reward for Nets GM Billy King, because it's rare to land a productive power forward in the prime of his career with an expiring contract, one who is willing to hold a job until rookie Derrick Favors is ready to snatch it from him. "When I looked at the team, and talking with Avery (Johnson) about where we are, I think"
Nets snag Murphy in four-team deal
Comment
August 12
New York Post
 
"The wait for Derrick Favors to mature into a starting NBA power forward just became a whole lot easier for the Nets. Having a double-double guy handle the transition process always makes things easier. Troy Murphy, 6-foot-11, 245 pounds, who averaged 14.6 points and 10.2 rebounds last season in Indiana, was the Nets' take in a four-team, five-player deal that sent shooting guard Courtney Lee to Houston. Lee, the Nets' main return in the Vince Carter deal in June 2009, averaged 12.5 points and shot 43.6 percent in his only season in New Jersey. "When you have a chance to get a big man in this league, you have to go for it," said Nets general manager Billy King, who touched on the downsides"
In Four-Team Trade, the Nets Find a Power Forward
Comment
August 12
New York Times
 
"The Nets acquired forward Troy Murphy from Indiana in a four-team, five-player trade that sent guard Courtney Lee to Houston, the teams announced Wednesday. Wing player Trevor Ariza went from the Rockets to New Orleans, and the Hornets sent point guard Darren Collison and James Posey to the Pacers. Murphy, a 6-foot-11-inch power forward, fills the Nets' need at that position. He averaged 14.6 points and 10.2 rebounds last season for the Pacers, a bump from his career averages of 12.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in his nine seasons for Indiana and Golden State. Murphy, 30, is from Sparta, N.J. He is in the final year of his contract, which pays him $11.9 million this season. Lee, who is still"
Hornets trade Darren Collison, James Posey and Julian Wright, get Trevor Ariza, Marco Belinelli
Comment
August 12
New Orleans Times-Picayune
 
"Just when the rumors of discontent and trade speculation surrounding the New Orleans Hornets seemed to have subsided, new general manager Dell Demps finally relented and traded a point guard. Only not that point guard. Demps shipped Darren Collison and veteran forward James Posey on Wednesday to the Indiana Pacers as part of a four-team, five-player deal that netted New Orleans swingman Trevor Ariza from the Southwest Division-rival Houston Rockets. As part of the trade, the Pacers sent Troy Murphy to the New Jersey Nets, who sent Courtney Lee to the Rockets. The move was Demps' first tinkering of a roster that remained virtually in tact after missing the playoffs, which had been a point"
Hornets involved in four-team deal to pick up Trevor Ariza
Comment
August 11
New Orleans Times-Picayune
 
"The New Orleans Hornets will obtain swingman Trevor Ariza as part of a four-team deal that will require the Hornets to send emerging talent Darren Collison and veteran James Posey to the Indiana Pacers, an NBA source confirmed Wednesday. The Pacers will send Troy Murphy to the New Jersey Nets and the Nets will send Courtney Lee to the Rockets. This deal will give the Hornets a dynamic playmaker at small forward while allowing them to get rid of an aging and largely unproductive Posey who was due to make $6.4 million this season. Ariza, who will be entering the second year of his six-year-contract, is due to earn $6.3 million."
Nets to get dose of Heat early
Comment
August 11
Bergen Record
 
"The Nets couldn't get LeBron James, but will see plenty of him early in the 2010-11 season. Two of the Nets' first six games are against the star-studded Heat, featuring James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Heat visit the Prudential Center for a Halloween matinee game, and the Nets travel to Miami for a Nov. 6 contest. The Nets tip off their first season in Newark with four consecutive home games, starting with the Oct. 27 opener against the Pistons. Night games at Prudential Center will start at 7 o'clock instead of 7:30, as was the norm at Izod Center. Former Nets coach Lawrence Frank, now a Boston assistant, will face his old team when the defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics"
Nets 2010-11 schedule released
Comment
August 10
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Here's the bright side: There's a chance for a fast start. Here's the caveat: The rest of the calendar year is a disaster. The Nets open their 2010-11 season with four straight home games, and three of them are actually winnable. Those include matchups against Detroit in the Oct. 27th opener at the Prudential Center, plus two more homers against Sacramento (Oct. 29) and Charlotte (Nov. 3). This homestand also includes a visit from the mighty Miami Heat on Halloween afternoon – trick or treat, indeed – but that actually represents a welcome respite for what is to follow. Because after Nov. 3, 24 of the next 37 games are on the road. In other words, this young team is going to have to grow"
As Nets Head To London, David Stern Has An Epiphany
Comment
August 10
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Stop the presses, or whatever it is that you use to upload words with these days: The Commish has finally seen the light with regard to the excessive toll that international competition takes on a certain portion of our population. In his case, the revenue-producing portion. But first, try to follow the bouncing ball: David Stern, 2004: "The notion of . . . .the number of games, we don't think it's that big of a deal. We think it's great for our sport. We think it makes it more interesting to our fans who learn more about the world through the international players." David Stern, 2008: "I don't think they abuse their bodies during the Olympics period. It is extra basketball. But that's the"
League, players' union will meet Thursday
Comment
August 10
NBA.com
 
"The NBA and the NBA Players Association are scheduled to meet Thursday in New York in the first significant collective bargaining meetings since February, sources confirmed to NBA.com Monday. The last meeting between the two sides in Dallas during the All-Star break turned contentious, as the union took exception to the first contract offer by the league. The union sent the league its own contract proposal in July. The current CBA expires after the 2010-11 season. The major point of contention between the sides involves the league's financial status. The league projected losses last summer in the neighborhood of $400 million for the just-completed season. Stern said last month that number"
Nets, Raptors to play pair of games in London
Comment
August 10
New York Post
 
"This potentially could be a tough road trip: Memphis, Philadelphia, London, Milwaukee ... The Nets and Toronto Raptors, two teams that "both expressed their strong interest in being part of the globalization'' of the sport, will play the NBA's first international regular-season games when they meet in London on March 4 and 5, at the O2 Arena, Commissioner David Stern announced yesterday. Stern said he hopes the NBA playing meaningful games in Europe becomes an annual event and that, "It wouldn't surprise me at all, and we would look forward to it, but I don't want to make a commitment on it.'' The Nets are scheduled to be part of the league's global push before March. They will play the"
Nets, Raptors to play pair of regular-season games in London
Comment
August 9
NBA.com
 
"The NBA is breaking new ground by going across the pond. Monday's announcement of two regular-season games in London is a first for a league with a long history of taking its teams outside of North America. The back-to-back games between New Jersey and Toronto, March 4-5 at London's O2 Arena, are the first to be played in Europe during the season. The league has held 13 regular-season games in Japan and Mexico since 1990. "The staging of our first regular-season games in Europe is a milestone for the NBA and the ongoing development of basketball in the region," commissioner David Stern said in a statement. "By bringing these two young and exciting teams to London, we are fulfilling our"
Nets add forward Sean May to training camp roster
Comment
August 6
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"The Nets continued to fill out their training camp roster today by adding free agent Sean May, who will receive a non-guaranteed contract but is a long shot to make the team. The 25-year-old power forward has been searching for a career ever since he was the MVP of the Final Four with North Carolina in 2005, but he's not likely to find it in the NBA. He was a legendary bust in Charlotte, where he had a chronically sore right knee and was the target of incessant fat-guy jokes – especially after being spotted on so many late nights eating and drinking in the Queen City entertainment district, according to Charlotte Observer reports."
Nets' Lopez off Team USA
Comment
August 5
New York Post
 
"Nets center Brook Lopez was bed-ridden with mononucleosis throughout the postseason, so ill that he could not attend any of brother Robin's playoff games with the Suns. He dropped more than 25 pounds and eventually was cleared to resume basketball activity one week before tryouts for the 2010 USA Basketball National Team. Suffice to say his tryout sessions fizzled. Though he survived the initial roster cut, Lopez yesterday withdrew from consideration for the team, telling Team USA officials he felt his conditioning still was lagging. "Although it will be disappointing not to see Brook compete in the upcoming FIBA World Championship, the Nets fully support his decision to stop training with"
Brook Lopez pulls out of world championships
Comment
August 5
USA Today
 
"Team USA lost another big man. New Jersey Nets center Brook Lopez called Coach Mike Krzyzewski on Tuesday night and said he had to withdraw from the world championships in Turkey on Aug. 28-Sept 12 because he hadn't fully recovered from mononucleosis and would not be in the physical condition required. Washington Wizards center-forward JaVale McGee replaced Lopez on the 15-man roster, which will resume training Aug. 10 in New York. "When we made our decisions as to who we were bringing to New York, Brook just based on performance in Las Vegas was not deserving of the invitation, but we gave him a pass because of his mono. He wasn't in shape and we wanted to give him the benefit of the"
Nets' Billy King was taught by experts
Comment
July 30
Bergen Record
 
"When Knicks' president Donnie Walsh ran the Pacers, he usually had to make sure there were enough seats in his office. Former coach Larry Brown was a frequent visitor and often was accompanied by Billy King. A Pacers' assistant from 1993-97, King spent nearly as much time talking basketball with Walsh as he did with Brown. They figured out immediately King, the Nets' new general manager, would have a career in the NBA, but not as a coach. "He always had this passion to be a GM," said Brown, now head coach of the Charlotte Bobcats. "He would always go in and pick Donnie's brain. And whenever I was in with Donnie talking about things we needed to do or be aware of, Billy usually was with me."
Nets owner writes letter defending LeBron
Comment
July 30
New York Post
 
"The Nets were one of the teams seemingly played for fools by LeBron James during his free agent courtship, but owner Mikhail Prokhorov says he has no problem with the superstar's decision to play for the Miami Heat. In a letter to the editor of USA Today, Prokhorov wrote, "I want to say that I support LeBron, the best athlete in the NBA. He had a truly difficult choice to make. Any move he made was sure to be viewed as wrong, and to leave many unhappy fans. Basing his decision on achieving results on the basketball court shows that the sportsman won the day, not the showman or the businessman. What is wrong with that?" James decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for Miami, with the"
Chris to Nets a Paul order
Comment
July 28
New York Post
 
"After meeting with New Orleans team brass, Chris Paul said he wants to play for the Hornets "for many years to come." Right, and LeBron James wanted to stay in Cleveland. So yes, the Nets will make the obligatory calls to see what chance, if any, exists of prying the All-Star point from the Hornets, despite Paul's pledge of Hornet allegiance after Monday's meeting with team execs. The chances are not good, but the Nets do have the pieces to put together a competitive package. But Paul's free agency in two years plus Net reluctance to part with rookie Derrick Favors would be just two major sticking points from the New Jersey perspective. "I'm not going to comment on that other than to say"
Nets up Marks to assistant GM
Comment
July 27
New York Post
 
"Bobby Marks has had more staying power than anyone else on the Nets' basketball side. And now Marks has an assistant general manager's title. Marks, who has served the Nets for 15 seasons in numerous basketball capacities, was formally named assistant general manager to new GM Billy King yesterday. Marks, a Jersey native who was a trusted aide to Rod Thorn and was the team's VP of basketball operations for four years, will assist King in areas of the salary cap, scouting, player personnel and basketball ops."
Mitchell happy to be back in NBA
Comment
July 26
Macon Telegraph
 
"Sam Mitchell landed a new gig just in time to make a point as he hosts the Dream and Achieve Youth Basketball Camp, which begins Monday. Mitchell, a former Mercer star and NBA player, had been out of coaching since December 2008, when he was released as the Toronto Raptors' head coach, but in June he was hired as the New Jersey Nets' top assistant. Although Mitchell said he never doubted he would return as an NBA coach, the wait for a new position is an example of just how tough career opportunities can be to come by — something he hopes to get across this week. "What I'm always telling the kids is, with where our economy is right now, if you don't have a specific skill, you're in"
Avery Johnson adds assistants
Comment
July 20
Bergen Record
 
"Nets coach Avery Johnson's staff will consist of two former NBA head coaches, Sam Mitchell and Larry Krystkowiak, as well as Popeye Jones and holdovers Tom Barrise and John Loyer."
Avery Net-ting top-notch staff
Comment
July 20
New York Post
 
"The Nets may have lost out on big-name free agents, but top coaches keep rolling into New Jersey. New coach Avery Johnson continues to shape his staff, hiring former NBA coaches Sam Mitchell and Larry Krystkowiak while adding Popeye Jones. The Nets also retained John Loyer and Tom Barrise. "Avery has assembled a staff that brings a wealth of NBA experience to the sidelines," new general manager Billy King said. "Their collective knowledge of the game, gained from both playing and coaching in the league, will be an invaluable asset to the head coach as well as our players." Mitchell, the 2006-07 NBA coach of the year, was the Raptors coach for four-plus seasons, leading them to two playoff"
Mikhail Prokhorov brings sense of importance to New Jersey Nets, former players and coaches say
Comment
July 20
New York Daily News
 
"Johnny Newman can understand the discrepancy more than most, as both a former member of the Knicks and the second-class citizens of metropolitan basketball, the Nets. Newman felt clout and exuberance on the east side of the river. On the other side: mud up to his knees. "You needed rubber boots just to get out of the parking lot when it rained," Newman said of the Nets' training facility - APA Trucking Recreation Center in North Bergen - during his stint in 1993-94. "You had to bring rubber boots to practice." Newman, who played with the Knicks for three seasons in the 1980s, chalked up much of the differences to ownership. It was stable, defined and generous at Madison Square Garden,"
Dooling signs with Bucks, will back up Jennings
Comment
July 20
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
 
"The Milwaukee Bucks continued to fine-tune their roster Monday by signing veteran free-agent point guard Keyon Dooling. The Bucks used their bi-annual exception to sign Dooling, 30, to a two-year contract worth about $2 million per season. Both years are guaranteed. Meanwhile, general manager John Hammond declined to comment on a rumor of a trade between the Bucks and Sacremento Kings that would send forward Darnell Jackson and a second-round draft choice to Sacramento for forward Jon Brockman. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Dooling has played in 595 games for four teams over 10 seasons. "Keyon is a veteran and will complement Brandon (Jennings)," Hammond said. "He's filled both roles as a point"
Little Falls' Bobby Marks a key to Nets' future
Comment
July 18
Bergen Record
 
"Bobby Marks had thoughts of becoming a police officer when he was at Marist College, but an internship with the Nets led him to something challenging, exciting and less dangerous. Armed with a computer, calculator, spreadsheet and the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Marks has been the behind-the-scenes backbone of the Nets' basketball department. But the Little Falls native is starting to step to the forefront. As the Nets' vice president of basketball operations, Marks, 37, does a little of everything, from arranging the team's travel plans, scheduling games and relocating players to managing the salary cap and setting up pre-draft workouts. But before former Nets president Rod Thorn"
Thorn says goodbye to Nets
Comment
July 17
New York Post
 
"He remembered all the good, like two trips to the NBA Finals. He recalled much of the bad, like the last two years and that Milt Palacio shot that will live in Nets infamy. He recalled how it was, remarked how it is and speculated on how it might be. And through his entire hour-and-a-half plus session with beat writers today, Rodney King Thorn was just "Rod." He is stepping down as Nets president after a 10-year run that directed the most successful era of the team's frequently famished history. He was "Rod," the guy who never put on pretenses, the guy who picked up his phone, who loved talking about the St. Louis Cardinals. So he sat laughing at memories of the ABA, marveling at the"
Thorn would have stayed on with Nets for LeBron
Comment
July 17
New York Post
 
"Rod Thorn was a Nets assistant ABA coach who marveled at the skills of Julius Erving. He was the Bulls general manager who drafted Michael Jordan. He was the Nets president who traded for Jason Kidd. And he still would be Nets president if LeBron James had chosen New Jersey. "That question was asked during that meeting we had with him," Thorn recalled yesterday, his last day before stepping down from the Nets' positions of president and general manager following an enormously successful 10-year run. "Somebody on his side said, 'You guys are making a pitch and you're not staying.' And I said, 'If we get LeBron, I'll stay. I promise.' ""
In final day on job, Nets president Rod Thorn chronicles life-long career in basketball
Comment
July 17
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Over time, you learn that the most unappreciated part of Rod Thorn is that he stands alongside Auerbach and Chuck and Hubie as perhaps the greatest raconteur the league has ever known. And it's not only because he can easily dip into the Russell-Chamberlain era and the ABA days and the Bird-Magic period when the NBA became a truly major league. It's because he literally has seen everything, knows everyone, and retains every memory. So The Boss went through more than 90 minutes of stories today on his final day of work – mostly stream-of-consciousness stuff about everything from Marvin Barnes to Quintin Dailey to Jason Kidd -- and six of us were grateful that we remembered to change the"
Lawrence Frank signs on with Celts
Comment
July 16
Bergen Record
 
"Former Nets coach and Teaneck native Lawrence Frank has a chance to go from worst to first. Frank on Thursday joined Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers' staff. Frank will be Rivers' lead assistant next season, when the defending Eastern Conference champs hope to make another run at an NBA title. "I'm extremely excited to join a championship organization," Frank said. "I'm really looking forward to working with Doc and working for one of the best franchises in all of sports.""
Nets general manager Billy King using lessons learned, patience in his return to the game
Comment
July 16
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"While in Philadelphia, Billy King instituted what is known as the "48 Hour Rule," which he used to some efficacy when he was working as Larry Brown's general manager. Basically, it worked like this: Whenever the famously impetuous coach would stomp into King's office demanding he airdrop one of their players over New Zealand or some other distant venue — which, contrary to legend, happened only once an hour or so — King would impose a mandatory, two-day waiting period so Brown could cool off before they pulled the trigger on something they'd regret. The Nets' new general manager claims he is a patient man, or has learned to be. Now he has to stay that way, with so many disparate elements —"
Promises to work with Johnson to win title
Comment
July 16
New York Post
 
"Usually, the horse comes before the cart, the crawling before the walking, the general manager before the coach. "As a rule, yes. In this case, no," Nets outgoing president Rod Thorn said yesterday, after probably the last official act of his 10-year reign, introducing Billy King, his successor as general manager. King will work with Thorn's coaching choice, Avery Johnson. "Avery certainly had input into this decision," Thorn said. "It was very important that we get somebody that Avery would have an affinity for and the GM would have an affinity for him.""
New Nets GM has time to get it right
Comment
July 16
New York Post
 
"Usually, a guy taking over after a 12-win season – outside the NFL, of course – finds an organization in shambles, players in near catatonic state, a team with warning signs just a notch below: "Lepers, Beware." But that's not the case with Billy King who finds a young, energetic and athletic Nets team with the holes basically filled in, more than $14 million in cap space, a new coach, a new owner with pockets deeper than the Pacific, and a new home set to open in two years. "I thank Rod for the roster," said King, who was formally introduced as the Nets new GM on Thursday, with the intro performed by the man whose act he must follow, Rod Thorn. "I was worried if they didn't sign people I"
Introduced as Nets G.M., King Stresses Teamwork
Comment
July 16
New York Times
 
"Dressed in a black suit and red tie, Nets Coach Avery Johnson stood to the side of the stage while Billy King was introduced as the franchise's general manager. While Johnson ceded the spotlight Thursday, all indications were that he would have a strong hand in King's time as the highest-ranking basketball executive in the organization. "He'll have a big, big input," King said. "I think that if you have a coach, you want to know what they're thinking, what their thought process is." King later said, "As I told Avery, 'I'll never say you work for me; we work together.' " Johnson said he was a part of the meetings with candidates, some of whom were interviewed by the new owner, Mikhail D."
Nets GM Billy King: cap space is sacrosanct ... for now
Comment
July 15
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"As he sat on a folding chair next to a rectangular plastic table, Billy King kept feeling his phone vibrating, and he seemed certain about the cause of this damn, incessant, infernal buzzing in his coat pocket. "Agents," he explained. He's got money, and they want some of it. He's got a massive hole in his frontcourt, they want to help him fill it. As everybody knows, this is a guy who hasn't been afraid to spend in the past. It wasn't until the rebuild was a few years overdue did he find religion in Philadelphia, recognizing that he had better start treating cap space as the only currency a general manager has when the veterans basically can't stand the team they play for. It's a little"
New Nets GM Billy King: Patience is key
Comment
July 15
Bergen Record
 
"Nets president Rod Thorn officially passed the torch to his successor Billy King Thursday afternoon. Thorn, who is leaving his position Friday after 10 years with the team, introduced King as the Nets' new general manager at an afternoon news conference. "It's not very often that you get to introduce your successor in this business, that's for sure," Thorn said. "As a longtime Net going back to Long Island and the ABA days, I go back with the Nets a long time. As they say I bleed red, white and blue. It's just extremely gratifying to pass this torch over to our new general manager, Billy King." King, the former president and general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, takes over one of the"
Thorn had good run with Nets
Comment
July 15
Bergen Record
 
"Rod Thorn, then-Nets executive Ed Stefanski and Phoenix Suns officials were in a Chicago restaurant in May 2001, having dinner and watching a playoff game. Suddenly an opportunity arose for the Nets to be on television perennially in the postseason. It became clear Jason Kidd was available and Phoenix was interested in Stephon Marbury. Thorn waited until the right time and then made the trade that transformed the Nets and defined Thorn's legacy as team president. "That was the changer for this franchise, no doubt about it," Thorn said. "It made the team." Kidd led the Nets to two NBA Finals, four Atlantic Division titles and six consecutive playoff berths. Thorn won NBA Executive of the"
After tumultuous tenure with Sixers, Billy King ready to take over as Nets GM
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July 15
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Billy King, whose mixed record as a basketball executive is mitigated by the fact it took place in the dysfunctional confines of the Philadelphia 76ers throughout the turbulent Allen Iverson decade, has been chosen as the general manager to lead the Nets. What isn't known, however, is how much authority comes with such a grand title. Hand-picked by outgoing president Rod Thorn, and sanctified by owner Mikhail Prokhorov and coach Avery Johnson after an interview at the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon, King will receive a three-year deal — matching that of Johnson himself — at roughly $2 million per season. Thorn and Prokhorov have said it was Johnson, however, who"
Jordan Farmar going from NBA champion to 12-win team? Huh?
Comment
July 15
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"So you're 23 years old, you own two rings with the Lakers, you played in your hometown in front of your family and friends for four years, and then one day you decide to chuck it all for a chance to play with a 12-70 train wreck. Jordan Farmar, please explain yourself. "We talked about it, and it wasn't really how I wanted to spend my whole career, being a backup in a triangle (offense)," the Nets' new backup point guard explained yesterday. "I didn't know if Phil (Jackson) was coming back, didn't know what direction they were going to go in. So that uncertainty led us to go different ways." This is, sure enough, a guy who likes to make his own path. Farmar said he only went to UCLA"
Patience paid off for new Nets general manager Billy King
Comment
July 15
Philadelphia Daily News
 columnist John Smallwood
"BILLY KING left the Sixers with the same class he displayed for a decade as a team executive. King, who was hired in 1997 as vice president of basketball operations and rose to become team president, was blindsided in December 2007 when the Sixers fired him and replaced him with Ed Stefanski. King had been allowed to direct the most important draft for the Sixers in a decade. He had been allowed to formulate and implement a rebuilding plan for life after a decade of Allen Iverson. But if King was bitter, he never let it show. The smart professional doesn't burn bridges. He doesn't do things that might cost him future opportunities. For 2 1/2 seasons, King waited for a chance to get back in"