The Hawks are actually good and are adding the Nets' pick to their roster

[bdm860]

For the people who have already written off the Nets, and thinking the Nets will end up with a lottery pick, but the Hawks finish as a top 4-5 seed, so it doesn’t really change anything for the C's.  Sure that doesn’t change anything this season, but I’d be more worried about the future picks than this years.

The Nets picks in 2016, 2017, and 2018 is what I was most excited about.  As my dream scenario involved Ainge pulling off a rebuild in like 3 years, and around the same time I hoped the Nets would be crumbling.  Figured the Nets would contend at least this year, and the owner would throw more money at the team in the 2014 and 2015 off-seasons, like re-signing Pierce to a rich 1-2 year extension, maybe giving Garnett another year for 2016 (so Pierce, Garnett, Johnson, Lopez contracts all line up), and maybe making a trade for another high priced veteran player to compete in 2015 and maybe 2016, until the Nets eventually crumbled hard under old age and bad contracts.

But if the Nets bombed this year, Pierce could leave as a FA, Garnett could retire, they could potentially clean house (maybe amnesty Joe Johnson). The C’s need to the Nets to be rebuilding from 2016-2018, not from 2014-2016.  You want the C’s to draft a couple of young studs this year and maybe next, and by 2017 they look like the 2012 Thunder only with a top lottery pick to add to the team (or make trades with).

I think the Nets being bad now has the potential to hurt the C’s more later.

[VitorSullyandKOFan]

For the people who have already written off the Nets, and thinking the Nets will end up with a lottery pick, but the Hawks finish as a top 4-5 seed, so it doesn’t really change anything for the C's.  Sure that doesn’t change anything this season, but I’d be more worried about the future picks than this years.

The Nets picks in 2016, 2017, and 2018 is what I was most excited about.  As my dream scenario involved Ainge pulling off a rebuild in like 3 years, and around the same time I hoped the Nets would be crumbling.  Figured the Nets would contend at least this year, and the owner would throw more money at the team in the 2014 and 2015 off-seasons, like re-signing Pierce to a rich 1-2 year extension, maybe giving Garnett another year for 2016 (so Pierce, Garnett, Johnson, Lopez contracts all line up), and maybe making a trade for another high priced veteran player to compete in 2015 and maybe 2016, until the Nets eventually crumbled hard under old age and bad contracts.

But if the Nets bombed this year, Pierce could leave as a FA, Garnett could retire, they could potentially clean house (maybe amnesty Joe Johnson). The C’s need to the Nets to be rebuilding from 2016-2018, not from 2014-2016.  You want the C’s to draft a couple of young studs this year and maybe next, and by 2017 they look like the 2012 Thunder only with a top lottery pick to add to the team (or make trades with).

I think the Nets being bad now has the potential to hurt the C’s more later.

It doesn't matter if they are bad this year they are still stuck with Deron,Joe and Brook because they owe them 61 million of cap space to 3 players that are declining. Also they don't have trade assets.

[bdm860]

For the people who have already written off the Nets, and thinking the Nets will end up with a lottery pick, but the Hawks finish as a top 4-5 seed, so it doesn’t really change anything for the C's.  Sure that doesn’t change anything this season, but I’d be more worried about the future picks than this years.

The Nets picks in 2016, 2017, and 2018 is what I was most excited about.  As my dream scenario involved Ainge pulling off a rebuild in like 3 years, and around the same time I hoped the Nets would be crumbling.  Figured the Nets would contend at least this year, and the owner would throw more money at the team in the 2014 and 2015 off-seasons, like re-signing Pierce to a rich 1-2 year extension, maybe giving Garnett another year for 2016 (so Pierce, Garnett, Johnson, Lopez contracts all line up), and maybe making a trade for another high priced veteran player to compete in 2015 and maybe 2016, until the Nets eventually crumbled hard under old age and bad contracts.

But if the Nets bombed this year, Pierce could leave as a FA, Garnett could retire, they could potentially clean house (maybe amnesty Joe Johnson). The C’s need to the Nets to be rebuilding from 2016-2018, not from 2014-2016.  You want the C’s to draft a couple of young studs this year and maybe next, and by 2017 they look like the 2012 Thunder only with a top lottery pick to add to the team (or make trades with).

I think the Nets being bad now has the potential to hurt the C’s more later.

It doesn't matter if they are bad this year they are still stuck with Deron,Joe and Brook because they owe them 61 million of cap space to 3 players that are declining. Also they don't have trade assets.

They could amnesty Joe Johnson, and I think Brook Lopez has pretty decent trade value.  Now they're down to one bad contract.

I'm not a cap guy, but that could clear some serious room, right?  If Deron ever re-gains his old form, they'd still be a hot free agent destination, and who knows could possibly even move him (but only to Dallas or LAL probably).

I mean sure, they could end up like the Knicks rebuilding for 10 years, but they could make some moves to speed it up too.

[Fafnir]

Brooklyn has no one on their roster who is eligible for amnesty. They are stuck with Joe Johnson till his deal is done. (they maybe can stretch his deal not sure)

[D.o.s.]

Right, the Nets already amnestied Travis Outlaw--they're stuck with Joe Johnson.

[Fafnir]

They also guaranteed KG some money next year as a condition for him accepting the trade.

Even if Blatche, Pierce, and AK-47 walk they have 80 million or so committed next year. No way under the cap.

Then in 2015-2016 season they have 62 million just in three players: Lopez/Williams/Johnson. So they have no cap room there and even stretching Johnson would do little to give them much room.

They're capped out till 2016/2017 without too much chance of getting out of it. Because the only two players with trade value are Williams and Lopez, the guys they'd like to keep.

[Fafnir]

Right, the Nets already amnestied Travis Outlaw--they're stuck with Joe Johnson.

Also you can't amnesty a player you traded for. Only a player you signed under the old CBA.

Very few players are eligible for amnesty anymore.

[BballTim]

They also guaranteed KG some money next year as a condition for him accepting the trade.

Even if Blatche, Pierce, and AK-47 walk they have 80 million or so committed next year. No way under the cap.

Then in 2015-2016 season they have 62 million just in three players: Lopez/Williams/Johnson. So they have no cap room there and even stretching Johnson would do little to give them much room.

They're capped out till 2016/2017 without too much chance of getting out of it. Because the only two players with trade value are Williams and Lopez, the guys they'd like to keep.

  You have to wonder if they have a plan outside of the Isiah/Knicks model where they trade for good(ish) players with overly large/long contracts.

[LarBrd33]

The nets will finish with a better record than the hawks or celtics.  Rough start, but they will rattle off 15 in a row at some point

[JBcat]

The nets will finish with a better record than the hawks or celtics.  Rough start, but they will rattle off 15 in a row at some point

I highly doubt they can 15 in a row even healthy, unless if they go through a real light part of the schedule playing bottom feeders and limited back to back games.

[D.o.s.]

Right, the Nets already amnestied Travis Outlaw--they're stuck with Joe Johnson.

Also you can't amnesty a player you traded for. Only a player you signed under the old CBA.

Very few players are eligible for amnesty anymore.

For the curious:
Rondo, Perkins, Durant, Horford, Boozer, Noah, Mike Conley, Z-Bo, Nick Collison, John Salmons, Tony Parker.

[Dwnflfan]

The nets will finish with a better record than the hawks or celtics.  Rough start, but they will rattle off 15 in a row at some point

I highly doubt they can 15 in a row even healthy, unless if they go through a real light part of the schedule playing bottom feeders and limited back to back games.

Yes, considering half of the teams in the NBA have never had a 15 or more game winning streak I certainly wouldn't expect this season's Nets will.  Most seasons nobody has a streak that long.

[Smokeeye123]

We should make a trade for that Hawks pick...which is basically trading for the Nets pick

[hwangjini_1]

and echoing the sentiments above, even if the celtics are "hurt" they still get good picks in 2105 & maybe 2016.

i wont argue with good nets picks sooner rather than later. besides, it is NOT a sure thing that an immediate rebuild by the nets would help anyway. look at them this year.

lots of salary. lots of talented players. not a lot of wins.

so far, ainge's plan is going well. the real object of our prayers should be for BOTH the nets and hawks to completely stink this year. 

[BballTim]

The nets will finish with a better record than the hawks or celtics.  Rough start, but they will rattle off 15 in a row at some point

  15 in a row is pretty unlikely with that roster. They'll likely finish better than the Hawks and Celts but that's not much of an accomplishment this year. What's going on is good for the Celts. If they don't turn things around in a hurry they'll have no chance at catching the better teams in the conference (likely the Heat, Pacers and Bulls) and won't want to run the old guys into the ground for a better regular season record. I wouldn't be surprised if they just contended themselves with winning the atlantic (again, no big accomplishment).