That's a pretty good team; it's just a shame that Carter, Wallace and Felton are probably the 3 most unpredictable and inconsistent players in the league, with Morrison coming in a close 4th.

On any given night, they could demolish a team or implode and lose by 30, and possibly do both in the same game.

I love Wallace, but he reminds me way too much of 'Toronto Vince' who lacked the heart to take his game to the next level.

And Carter can either be a great asset, when he's playing hard, driving and finishing strong at the basket, or an enormous liability, when he clangs 25 foot jumpers all night and shoots 3 of 20 from the field.

As a bobcats fan, I'd like to see them have a punt at Rashard Lewis and run a Suns-style 7 or 8 man rotation with (if they fluke a #1) Oden/Durant, Okafor, Lewis, Wallace, Felton, Morrison, Knight and Hermann.

Now that would be fun to watch...

yeah it would - although i think ur being a tad too harsh on vince - hes still an allstar and one of the best in the game...im sure every team would welcome him and benefit as a result...and i think wallace is turning it around...i expect him to have a huge 07/08 season...they would be a team and a half...and yes i agree carter is on his way out...also - did anybody see lawrence franks post game comments after they lost the series to the cavs?

"Jason gave everything he had. Richard (Jefferson) got off to a great start. Vince ... you know ... we just didn't have enough."

ouch

Apparently he is on a $16 million dollar a year contract.

I don't think he would go on the open market and risk it.

Jason Kidd may have played his last game at the Nets though. The coach has said that the door isn't closed and that Kidd may be traded if offered a too good to refuse deal.
Chicago is one possible place for Kidd next year.

C B.Wallace/Brown or Free Agent
F Thomas/Top10 Draft Pick
F Gordon/Nocioni
G Hinrich/Deng
G Kidd/Duhon

123abc - carters contract is up - he needs a new one...so yes...hes on the market

No, he has an option. He can continue with the Nets or test the market.

He has an Early Termination Option.

but the nets still have to resign him don't they? and they arent gonna do taht

and the bulls dont need kidd...look at the team u just put down...ur putting either deng or hinrich to the bench...thats not gonna happen...i think they have their young neclues of gordon, deng and hinrich...all pretty much in kidd's position

...., no, the Nets don't have to re-sign him for the 08 season. He is still under contract with them, but as 123abc posted, can opt out of his contract.

Whether he's a Net next year or not in his control (unless, of course, they end up trading him).

Carter is tipped to either head to the Magic, Cats or remain with the Nets. No one else can pay him what he's believed to be asking bar these three teams.

Carter has a contract (player) option on his contract that if he uses he could would be leaving $16 mill on the table. He could opt out, but resign with the Nets for further years or cash, or the Nets could let his contract expiry at the end of next season if they are looking for cap relief (if he doesn't opt out he'll get paid plus be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2008).

I'd like to see Carter in a Cats jersey, but I'd only want him signed for a short time, 3 years at the most (I'd look at 3 years at $47 mill, with $20 mill front loading), but only if it doesn't impact on resigning Wallace (1st priority, 2nd is extending Okafor).

I'd not sure who I'd want as the No 1 if the Cats get it. Durant for his offence or Oden for his defence. Okafor, Oden and Wallace would be a top notch defensive unit. Carter could be our scorer at the SG position. If Carter/Shard signs I'd look at Oden, if we don't get Carter/Shard I'd favor Durant.

Your bulls team 123abc is unrealistic. Gordon would be the smallest SF in the history of the game with your line up. Hinrich is a pure PG and all defensive himself, Kidd isn't needed on the Bulls and they wouldn't be prepared to pay Kidd nor trade for him. Paxson wouldn't trade Deng or Gordon for Gasol (who fits a need on the Bulls) so he won't trade them for Kidd.

Skiles came out today and said "We'd like to add some interior scoring and length and athleticism". The Bulls only have the MLE to use this offseason.

Carter opts out, get left in the cold like Bonzi Wells and signs with Dallas for the veteran minimum ;)

Yes i love writing up what i think will be a good team.

I know Gordon would be small but you would do it to fit in Kidd.

Had they traded to get Gasol, this would be an alright team:

C Wallace/Top 10 draft pick
F Gasol/Thomas
F Nocioni/FA
G Gordon/FA
G Hinrich/Duhon

The thing with Carter is that he's not a winner. He'll get his numbers (no matter how many shots he takes) and will get his teams to the playoffs, but at the end of the day I can't ever see hin winning a ring unless it's right at the end of his career and he's coming off the bench as a role player.

He's no where near as athletic as he once was so he has to resort to shooting more jump shots, like Jordan in his twilight years, but he's not as good as Jordan and doesn't lift his team like Jordan did.

carter hasnt really had enough talent yet to win (especially not in toronto, and getting there in jersey, but not complete like mj's team was)so thats pretty harsh to label him as not a winner...mj didnt win a title till later in his career - and he had a complete team with no holes anywhere. same with every championship team...so he jsut hasnt had the opportunities yet

in fact - name ONE championship team where its been just 1 or 2 guys doing it

who could be possible options for the nets if carter leaves? who's contract runs out at the end of this season?? and what if kidd leaves who would be there to replace him?

billo - 'The thing with Carter is that he's not a winner'

???

thats a fairly weak statement..its annoying when people classify players as winners, because its the team that wins. you can be fortunate enough to be on teams that breed a winning chemistry and formula, but no one individual is a 'winner'. there are players (ie, bird, jordan, magic, nash, duncan) who have a clear passion for winning and will put everything on the table to do so, but noone can be classified as a 'winner'. carter, kg, pierce, baron, tmac, jermaine oneal, gasol, marbury, ray allen - the list could go on..youre really only a 'winner' once you've had the chance to be within a successful team that constantly makes conference finals and finals, and very few get to do that

I stand by my comment on Vince. In all his years in Toronto they only won 1 playoff series, and while he wasn't completely surrounded with talent he did play alongside McGrady for 2 of those season.

If you look at what he's produced post season with the Nets you'll see he's not progressed past the second round there either. Nets made the NBA finals 2 years in a row prior to Vince arriving, and of the big names the main difference was Vince in K Mart out (Kidd and Jefferson remain as constants).

Rusty, I know you don't like labelling people as 'winners' or 'not winners' but when you've been the franchsie player most of your career and you've not once made it past the second round of the playoffs then surely questions have to be asked about your ability to lead a team when it counts. The Nets have definitely had the horses to make it further so you can't blame a lack of talent. The guy admitted to not trying his hardest at the end of his time in Toronto, can you imagine Jordan or Bird's professional pride allowing them to give a half arsed effort? Hell no!!! Bottom line is he's a predigiously talented baskball player, one of the best athletes the league's seen, but he lacks the will and ability to lead his team when it matters.

"mj didnt win a title till later in his career" - sure, but he already had 3 rings by the time he was the age Vince is now.

yeah - rusty already commented on the desire and will to win - i think thats understood with vince...we get that part
...but the winner thing is stupid...(by the way he had t-mac???? a-yeah if anything thats all he had and b-t-mac was a young kid out of highschool, who was no where near half the t-mac of today - so he didnt have talent in toronto) and the nets went to the conference finals those years because they were a better team before carter joined...not because carter brought his non-winner thing on to the team and because he isnt a good player. they were a more complete team, not to mention that the east was pretty much a one-horse-race then...detroit were starting to get good but no one really threatened the nets much...as rusty said u could name heaps of guys who u could label 'not winners' becuase only one team a year can do it..there needs to be a perfect opportunity on a team with no holes, no chemistry problems, no anything...as i said before - u name me one championship team where it isnt the whole roster contributing, and one that doesnt play amazing team basketball...u cant...and have u noticed that the nba playoffs have looked very similiar in the last few years? (spurs,pistons) the two teams in the league that play that style of basketball the best...carters not a winner coz hes not on a winning team..same as if kobe bryant didnt have his laker team during their three peat...just imagine kobe playing with the guys hes got now his whole career...ud be calling kobe not a winner...carter hasnt had that opportunity, and i cant believe ur trying to tell me that he has...especially with toronto??!!!???!!!???! and because of....T-MAC???!!!! and the nets werent it either

I heard that Vince was more likely headed orlandos way. But as a bobcats fan i definately wouldnt say no to seein him there. Just the experience is all the bobcats need to make the finals, not to mention his 25 5 and 5 that he'd offer at the bobcats. Another year on felton and okafor, plus gerald wallace injury free, we could see some big teams falling to Charlotte more often next season. Morrison should be in the "rejects" column if u ask me - a pure shooter that cant shoot...what the hell is that?!

"in fact - name ONE championship team where its been just 1 or 2 guys doing it"

Miami.

no not miami - thats probably one of the worst examples...j-will, posey, walker, zo as back up centre..they werent superstars but they contributed a great deal...wade and shaq were just the standouts

OOPs typo

So for example KG needs more talent around him to win(a winner on a losing team) and Vince is a loser.
Vince averages 26ppg(8th all time) 7 Rebounds 5 assist and 1.5 steals in the playoffs for his career.

http://www.nba.com/statistics/encyc/Player.jsp

well that statline just proves that vince DOES get it done in the postseason - so combined with a complete team and then u might have ur winner...like i said before he hasnt had the opportunities yet to label him a non-winner

That statline proves Vince gets his numbers, the fact he's never been past the second round proves he's not a winner, and that's what we're discussing here.

... it's pointless anyone naming teams, like Miami, who've had 1 or 2 guys carry the team. Of course a championship winning team will have good role players, but when your superstars are good enough (Wade & Shaq, Jordan and Pippen) then your role players will always look good. Longley was a great role player with the Bulls, but was largely unsuccessful elsewhere, this is because Jordan was so amazing Longley wasn't required to do anything beyond his powers. My point is if you're a top flight franchise player then you carry your team on your back, you make your role players lift and play to their potential, and you compete for conference championships and rings, like Lebron's doing now.

i still dont like tagging someone as a winner or not. teams win, not individuals. being a winner is not a personal trait. having a desire to win, yes, that is a trait that certainly has some bearing. was carter supposed to put the team on his back for new jersey? isnt that jason kidds team? and in toronto he DID put a mediocre team on his back and take them to within a shot of the conference finals. put in the right position any star can be a winner, a guy like carter, much like kg, tmac etc, just hasnt found that situation, and it is likely, like so many other stars, that he never will

Fair play Rusty, we'll agree to disagree then. All I know is that I wouldn't want Vince as my franchise player if I was wanting to win a ring. And don't get me wrong, I love watching the guy play and the way he moves (although not as much as did I few years ago when he was at his peak athletically).

im certainly not saying id want him as my franchise player either. i dont even think he has that tag anymore. he was the franchise player at toronto, and did carry them. at new jersey, he is not. that title surely belongs to jason kidd

When he first moved to the Nets it was a pretty big deal, if there's such a thing I'd say they were co-franchise players.

ok rusty, how about the will to win??? would it be fair to say that Vince is a little lacking in this regard. MJ had the will, so did Bird, Kobe has it to a lesser degree. I don't think any of these guys would tank their performance in a hissy fit to be traded.

Carter is a great player and I hope the Bobcats (go cats) make a run at him.

TR - if you read my posts you would see i said this ...
#135027
'being a winner is not a personal trait. having a desire to win, yes, that is a trait that certainly has some bearing'

i also said this earlier
#134918
'but no one individual is a 'winner'. there are players (ie, bird, jordan, magic, nash, duncan) who have a clear passion for winning and will put everything on the table to do so'

sorry rus, missed those....

I think that his lacking of the will to win is one reason why he's seen a little as a big game choker. Those players mentioned would bleed and carry the team to get the win, I'm not sure Carter would do this.