Jefferson in danger of being dealt?- It looks like Richard Jefferson is out of hot water. Cleared of assault charges from an incident earlier in the year, Jefferson can now continue to focus on developing as a player. However, he may be forced to continue that development elsewhere.

On Wednesday, the New York Daily News reported that Jefferson could be traded to the Denver Nuggets as part of a deal for Carmelo Anthony. However, Jefferson’s agent was quick to say that he doesn’t see anything going down as of yet.

Thorn and Vandeweghe confident in turn around- Yahoo Sports had an interesting update today with some pretty choice quotes from Rod Thorn and Kiki Vandeweghe regarding the team’s direction next season:

“I think we have a real good chance to get a player who can help us at 10,” said Thorn. “And in this draft, we should get a good player at 21 and even 40.”

With the returns of DeSagana Diop, Boki Nachbar and Nenad Krstic unknown and an apparent need for another quality shooter and rebounder, the Nets may have their hands full at the draft. However, with three picks in the first 40, the Nets may be in a situation to trade up or get three quality players who can fill voids. As I’ve stated in previous entries, the continued development of players like Sean and Marcus Williams in addition to Josh Boone may help solve this problem, but that doesn’t seem likely for next season. Right now, the Nets need another player who can help lead this team on the floor, either on the boards or on the perimeter. It’ll be interesting to see what they do come draft time.

From the way Thorn and Vandeweghe are talking, you think that they’re in this for the long haul as well. While they have consistently said that they will be going for the best players they can, they understand they can’t just bring in anyone and need to play this situation very carefully.

“When I got here, I was very excited to work with somebody like Rod Thorn, who I’ve been an admirer of for a long time. I sat across the table from him and knew I had a lot to learn from him and know I know I have a lot more to learn,” Vandeweghe said. “I hope that I’ve had some input and some positive input as to the roster and the direction. I think both of us really believe you have to pick a direction, you have to know where you stand and do things that fit that direction. Neither one of us likes Band-Aid solutions.”

Not a lot of Nets-related stuff going on this week, however, I’ll share a few clippings I came across.

“The calls haven’t really started yet. I guarantee you we’ll have calls,” the new GM said. “Having two picks in the first round, I think you have some very good players potentially in this draft. You never know until a couple of years down the road. But I do like this draft. Our picks will be valuable.”

I took this from the team report on Yahoo Sports. It’s basically in reference to what the team will do this year in the draft and how the Nets have both hit and missed in the first round over the past few years. At any rate, the Nets have two picks and should be able to find someone with some potential to help on the bounds and give them more speed or size, depending on how they want to build the team. I personally would like this team to continue to run the floor they were when they first traded for Devin Harris. If guys like Josh Boone and Sean Williams continue to develop as feel, I think this team could be in good hands. The draft can only help them get deeper and that I believe is the thing the Nets need the most right now.

Carmelo to Nets not likely- http://www.sportsnet.ca/thewire/basketball/2008/05/16/anthony_to_nets_not_seen/

Came across this the other day and it didn’t really make sense to me. For my taste, Carmelo Anthony is someone the Nets don’t need. Sure, he’s a great ballplayer who makes the players around him better, but the Nets have enough star power. Like I said earlier, this team needs depth. They need Marcus Williams to become a better option off the bench and they need Nenad Krstic to turn back the clock a season and a half. Bringing in big names doesn’t turn a team that won 34 games this season into a contender. Developing what you have and trimming the fat however, does.

Appeals court to consider slur in Jayson Williams case-http://www.centredaily.com/sports/basketball/story/592628.html

It’s hard to believe that Jayson Williams is 40 years old now. For me, seeing him at center and power forward for the Nets in the late 90s was a complete blast. What a good rebounder he was. He was so much fun to watch and knowing that he could be depended on made those young Nets teams very confident and a pleasure to watch. It’s a shame to see this guy going through all these problems off the court. I could have totally seen him on television if things would have worked out differently. I mean c’mon, he’s cooler than John Salley, was a much better player and look at how many things he’s gotten himself involved with since he retired. He could totally have had his own basketball show or even a radio show if he would have played his cards right.

What a shame.

Devean George isn’t a popular person in Dallas right now. From a Nets point of view, I really can’t understand why. Why would the Mavericks want to give up two first round picks, George, a solid point guard in Devin Harris, Maurice Ager, DeSagana Diop and Jerry Stackhouse? Even with the Nets buying out Stackhouse, this is a great deal for them. They get a point guard that can immediately replace Kidd, who is quick and can shoot. On top of that, the guy is developing more and more with every game he plays. He’s far from the creator that Kidd is, but he scores more and can be a solid passer if he has to be.

Diop would easily be able to fill the big man off the bench role for the Nets and would basically give the Nets another option until Nenad Krstic is himself again. With Diop and Stromile Swift off the Bench and Josh Boone and Sean Williams getting an opportunity to either start or get big minutes, the Nets would be an entirely different team. Harris is a speedster and would force Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson to play at an extremely high tempo. I don’t know what you guys think of that, but I like it. I like it a lot.

But this all means nothing if this deal doesn’t go through. Whatever early birds are in the way and whatever Stackhouse’s big mouth says, the Nets need to find a way to get this deal done. Losing Kidd may hurt them for a while, but with the team moving to Brooklyn in a few years, they’d have plenty of young talent and would be extremely fun to watch. Chances are those first round picks from Dallas are doing to be low ones, but their still first round picks.

On the other rumor front, according to the New York Post, the Nets are shopping Bostjan Nachbar and Jamaal Magloire to the Grizzles for Mike Miller. While I think Magloire got the short end of the stick during his stay in New Jersey and Nachbar is an extremely underrated talent, Mike Miller is a great player who I’d love to see in a Nets uniform. I don’t know exactly where Vince Carter or Richard Jefferson would fit into all of this, as they would all have to basically share minutes and do some serious moving and shaking with the lineup card to make it work, but Miller is just too good a player not to get for two players you’re not using enough.

I don’t know how you guys feel, but this team could be an entirely different one by Thursday. If it’s a much better one remains to be seen as of yet.

Despite snapping a nine-game losing streak on Tuesday against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Nets are a team in serious trouble. Not because they are slowly slipping out of playoff contention, but because they may be trading away the very players that are the most responsible for the majority of their success this season.

According to the New Jersey Record, the Nets are in a proposed three-way deal with the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers that would send Jason Kidd, Jamaal Magloire and Malik Allen to the Mavericks, while Dallas would send Devin Harris to the Blazers. In exchange for Kidd, Portland and Dallas would package, Jerry Stackhouse, Devean George, Channing Frye and Travis Outlaw to the Nets with a future number one pick and cash.

Considering how Kidd has played this season, leading the team in assists and rebounds, the Nets are either hoping Frye and Outlaw can continue to develop into solid players, or are turning the engine off this season so they can get something from that number one pick. Averaging nearly 14 points a game this season, Outlaw is definitely an upgrade over Josh Boone and Sean Williams and Frye can and will flourish with more playing time, But why the Nets would want Jerry Stackhouse, who hasn’t been a star in this league for nearly a half decade, is scary. George would bolster the bench and provide a decent three-point option off the bench. The only question is, will this deal make the Nets better?

With Josh Boone and Williams not ready for prime time minutes and Nenad Krstic still injured, the addition of Outlaw, Frye and George would give the Nets plenty of options and would allow the Nets to be patient with their youngsters. However, the addition of Stackhouse is puzzling, unless the Nets are looking to deal Vince Carter. Wait, they are. According to Yahoo! Sports, Nets General Manager Rod Thorn has been on the phones all week after Jason Kidd finally went public, after months of denies and speculation,  with his request to be traded and is looking to deal Carter as well.

If Kidd and Carter both leave New Jersey, the Nets will be a completely different team, void now of a top-tier point guard and a game-breaking shooting guard. It remains to be seen if that team can do better than 19-26 though. With the team’s move to Brooklyn recently delayed and the potential loss of two of their best players and huge fan favorites, the Nets stock hasn’t been this low in nearly a decade.