http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2110920 Has the Stromile Swift to Houston percentage chance of happening just went up or what? Let's go CD! Even if NJ and Portland can't agree to a sign and trade, Shareef will sign with NJ for their MLE. Excellent news for Pro-Swifters! (such as I)
This is TERRIFIC news!! Now it might be down to only Houston and Seattle for Swift's services. I know Seattle has money, but they dont throw it around a whole lot and have their own RFAs to deal with.
Net's close to deal with trail blazer's for SAR The New Jersey Nets may have found their replacement for Kenyon Martin. And he's coming at a real bargain. A team source said the Nets are very close to an agreement with Shareef Abdur-Rahim on a six year contract worth roughly $38 million. To make the deal work under cap rules, the Portland Trail Blazers, who own Abdur-Rahim's rights, would have to agree to sign him to the contract and then trade him to the Nets using a $5 million trade exception that the Nets own. In return, the Nets would send a future first round pick to the Blazers. If the Nets are unable to get the Blazers to agree to a sign-and-trade, Abdur-Rahim has agreed to sign with the Nets for their mid-level exception at five years for about $28 million, according to the team source. So, either way, it looks like the Nets will get their hands on Abdur-Rahim. Either way it's a great deal for the Nets. The Nets refused to pay Martin, their last power forward, a max contract last summer and eventually traded him to the Nuggets for three future first round picks. The Nets used some of those picks to acquire Vince Carter from the Toronto Raptors midseason. Now they're trying to use the trade exception they received from the Martin deal to acquire Abdur-Rahim. Abdur-Rahim might be coming at less than half the price of Martin, but he isn't half the player. Abdur-Rahim, who is 28, has averaged 19 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game for his career. Last season he struggled through injuries, but still managed 16.8 ppg and 7.1 rpg. Martin has averaged 12.4 ppg and 5.1 rpg for his career and had 15.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg for the Nuggets last season. If the Nets land Abdur-Rahim for the mid-level exception, look for new owner Bruce Ratner to keep spending money. The Nets still own their full mid-level exception. Their next signing could be free agent guard Keyon Dooling with part of their mid-level exception. The Nets are looking for a combo guard who can help Jason Kidd keep his minutes down to about 30 a night. They seem to have narrowed in on Dooling as their guy. If the Nets are forced to use their mid-level on Abdur-Rahim, they'll still have until July 29th to use their $5 million trade exception to acquire another
Old news or not, SAR was the first domino to fall like we all thought. Once NJ was off the table....SWIFT! Thank you NJ!
On paper, that Nets team is going to be pretty dangerous I think they just became a contender out of the east for the next year or two.
Nets still have zero interior defense, I would not call them a contender. Still way behind Miami and Det, and probably behind Indy and Clev (if they learn how to play D). I wouldn't pick the Nets to get to the EC semis. Funny thing to me is I think in a lot of ways Swift to NJ and SAR to us made even more sense, but either way these were my 1st two realistic PF choices for Houston and am thrilled we got the 25 year old Swift.
