After selecting him with the third overall pick in last June's draft, the Nets have finally cut the tags off of Derrick Favors.
Owner Mikhail Prokhorov's directive to "walk away" from a proposed trade for Denver's Carmelo Anthony means that Favors, along with an unparalleled stash of assets, will remain in general manager Billy King's care. The Jan. 19 announcement may have cost an offensively deficient team the chance to land an elite scorer, but it leaves the Nets with a menu of options over the next few seasons.
Rookie forward Derrick Favors has stepped up his game of late.
"The two things that are always important to have are assets, like [draft] picks and expiring contracts," Nets assistant general manager Bobby Marks said. "And the other thing that's important to have is flexibility from a cap standpoint."
Suddenly the Nets have the ingredients to make the same turnaround the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat have made in recent seasons: Troy Murphy's $12 million expiring contract and 10 draft picks over the next three years, with as many as six coming in the first round.
Depending on what happens to Mr. Murphy—he requested a trade and has been excused from the team since Jan. 12—and the next collective bargaining agreement, Mr. Marks estimates the Nets could be between $20 million and $24 million under the salary cap this summer. That figure could hit $27 million by the summer of 2012, when All-Stars Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Deron Williams could be hitting the free agent market.
But the Nets don't have to go on a spending spree. Simply re-signing Most Improved Player candidate Kris Humphries and fellow reserve Sasha Vujacic is an inexpensive start. And should the Nets draft a premiere playmaker like Duke point guard and New Jersey native Kyrie Irving, Mr. King could see some attractive offers for former All-Star Devin Harris, who still ranks among the best offensive players at his position.
Of course, draft picks and cap space represent abstract value. The most tangible piece the Nets kept is Mr. Favors, who has come to life since Mr. Prokhorov's press conference in Newark last week.
"We're winning and I don't have to worry about people asking me about trade rumors," Mr. Favors said. "I'm having fun. I enjoy playing with my teammates."
Mr. Favors hit 15 of 25 field goals while grabbing 6.2 rebounds a game as the Nets went 4-1 on their latest home stand. Most importantly, the foul-prone 19-year-old was blocking shots (1.6 per game) without hearing whistles (1.8 fouls per game).
"He's nice," veteran Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph said after watching Mr. Favors grab nine rebounds Wednesday night. "He's tough. He has great upside."
Yes, the Nets are still in need of the offense Mr. Anthony provides. The team ranks 28th in offensive efficiency (points per 100 possessions), 25th in field goal percentage, and 23rd in points per shot. But another marquee player could be closer than anyone realizes.
Recent history has proven that the biggest transactions begin with a losing franchise and a treasure chest of assets. The Celtics finished last in the Eastern Conference in the 2006-2007 season, then turned seven players, two first-round picks and the rights to Jeff Green into Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett the following summer. Miami was the worst team in the entire NBA in 2007-2008, but that didn't stop team president Pat Riley from adding Chris Bosh and LeBron James last July.
"We know that we have unbelievable cap space, unbelievable flexibility and unbelievable picks," Mr. King told the media after Mr. Prokhorov's press conference last week. "As I said when I got the job, 'You want to have assets because players become available.' When the Lakers got Pau Gasol, they had the assets to get it done. That's what you want to have, and that's what we do have."
But Nets fans who had hoped to see Mr. Anthony play at the Prudential Center this season can still get their wish—the Nuggets visit Newark to face the Nets on Monday night.
Source:
No comments:
Post a Comment