@FredKerber: Nets not picking up DJames option, not extending Lopez

By no means does this decision mean that Lopez will not be with the Nets next season. The team can still negotiate with him during the off season and they start off with the upper hand. Brook will be a restricted free agent which means the team will have a chance to match any offer he receives.

Lopez hasn’t played a game yet this season due to a stress fracture in his foot but is on pace to return within the next two to four weeks. Rumor has it he’s been working very hard in the gym and his upper body is bigger then it has ever been.

Brook averaged 20.4 points, 6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game during the 2010-11 season, down the stretch those numbers spiked at 22.7 and 6.4 per. Every year he’s improved and if he’s coming back physically stronger then ever then I’d expect those numbers to jump more.

My thinking is he’ll be with the Nets next season. There’s just no way the team can let this young star walk as they’re about to make their big move to Brooklyn.

Derrick Rose led the Bulls on a fastbreak and hit Rip with a nice alley-oop pass which he caught and turned it into an easy mid-air layup.

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The Knicks, who are now pursuing a forward to play off the bench, have expressed interest former Nets player Travis Outlaw if he clears the amnesty waiver process, according to an NBA source.

The Knicks could offer Outlaw their $2.5 million exception that has already been turned down by Grant Hill, Jamal Crawford and Shawne WIlliams.

The Knicks are desperate for another bench player, especially with sixth man Billy Walker missing the past four practices with a groin strain.

“They have a shot (at Outlaw),” the source said.

Outlaw was the Nets’ amnesty cut Thursday. He was signed as a free agent in 2010 and did not find success with New Jersey.

Mike D’Antoni said the Knicks are looking less for a shooting guard and more at the 3 and 4 forward positions (New York Post)

While would have been happier with Shawne Williams back on the team, I’ll take Outlaw if it happens. He adds some more size and can play either of the forward positions. He’ll provide some much needed depth to a team that sorely needs it.

The only problem I have is that he’s another player who can contribute offensively but isn’t going to provide much on the defensive side of the ball. The one area where the Knicks really need improvement.

R

Crawford is one of the top available free agents, and according to a source close to the veteran shooting guard, he prefers returning to the New York area if he does not re-sign with the Atlanta Hawks. Miller, due to his location, has close ties to both the Knicks’ and Nets’ organizations. (NY Daily News)

The NY Daily News articles mentions the New Jersey Nets being a possibility and personally I think that’s probably his best option.

The Nets have plenty of cap room and a HUGE need for talent. Their offense absolutely blows, only scorer they have is point guard Deron Williams. The combination of these two will at least give them an explosive backcourt. It would also help open up the under the basket area for Brooks Lopez and Kris Humphries (if he returns) as teams would really have to guard the perimeter.

Adding Crawford to that trio would give the Nets a nice core for when they move to Brooklyn for the 2012-13 season. A year that the Nets would definitely want to transition from a 24 win cellar dweller to a playoff contender. It would also give them a chance to one up the Knicks, if they actually are interested.

In my opinion, the Knicks will kick their tires on it but nothing will happen. Only way they’ll be able to bring Crawford in is the mid level exception (which I highly doubt he would take) or a sign and trade. A sign and trade that would undoubtedly eat cap space and take away bargaining chips that they’d like to use for a Chris Paul or Dwight Howard.

Only thing for certain is this, if Crawford does return to New York there are no hard feelings for his trade to Golden State after just 11 games.

“Why not? I don’t think the trade was personal,” he said. “It was all about 2010 and the players you can possibly get. I love Atlanta. I want to work out an extension here, but if I become a free agent it’s not the end of the world.” (NY Daily News)

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@dempseypost: Melo on potentially meeting with New Jersey this week: “I’m having a meeting? I know nothing about that.”

Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post has an article up with a considerable amount of quotes from Carmelo. What I gathered from most of these were that Anthony really has no interest in talking to anyone right now. To me, he sounds like a guy ready to hit free agency and see where things go.

“I’ve never heard about that,” he said. “That’s news to me. I can’t talk to them people. The Denver Nuggets still pay me. I haven’t talked to anybody – Masai (Ujiri, Nuggets executive vice president of basketball operations) or Josh (Kroenke, team president) or any other teams. So for that speculation to be going around out there like that, that’s false.”

“I don’t want to talk to nobody,” Anthony said. “I let the front office handle that type of stuff. It ain’t my job to be talking to New Jersey, New York, Lakers, Dallas, no one. I still won’t step into something like that. I’ve seen a lot of people go through that.

“For me to sit here and say I want to talk to them or Masai or Josh gave them permission to talk to me, I think that’s false. If that was the case I’m pretty sure I would have gotten a phone call from Masai or Josh about that.”

Asked what he would do when he got the call from one of the Nuggets executives, Anthony said, “I haven’t gotten it yet.”

After reading all of that it really sounds like he doesn’t care about talking to anyone. What do you guys think?

@briancmahoney: Nets center Brook Lopez pulls out of world championships as he recovers from mono. Washington’s JaVale McGee named to US team.

McGee does the height you want in the middle, he’s listed at seven foot but other then being big he hasn’t done much in his NBA career so far. With the Washington Wizards, McGee has averaged 6.5 points and 4.0 rebounds, while playing about 15 minutes a game over two professional seasons.

This is a huge blow to Team USA thou as their front court has been decimated by injuries this summer. They’ve already lost David Lee due to a broken finger and Robin Lopez because of his back. They also lost Amare Stoudemire because the New York Knicks are working on a new insurance policy to cover his past injuries.

The team is now left with Tyson Chandler and McGee as their centers, not sure if that would win a championship in any level of competition.

King’s got a pretty good resume he was the general manager of the Sixers from 1998-2003 and then team president till 2007. The team was pretty inconsistent during his time there but did reach the NBA Finals in 2001 and appeared in the playoffs seven times. King was never the greatest at trading and signing players but he did draft well, especially after taking over as team president.

2004 – 1st round Andre Iguodala
2005 – 2nd round Lou Williams
2007 – 1st round Thaddeus Young

The only question is why did the Nets take so long to make a decision like this?? Couldn’t a guy like King have helped out in the draft? Luckily for the Nets their pick was number three and pretty much a no brainer but King probably would of been an asset in free agency.

I’m sure that some free agents didn’t even give the Nets full consideration because of the state of their front office. The team still doesn’t have a general manager to go with King.

King will get to make his mark on this team quickly thou as the Nets, well they pretty much still suck.