Like the Knicks, Nets Plan for a Busy Summer

The Knicks have stolen all the local thunder lately, and with good reason. But let's not lose sight of the Nets. It looks like the team president of the Nets, Rod Thorn, and new general manager Kiki Vandeweghe have set out to stalk some big property this summer.

Among the targets, according to a report in Thursday's Bergen Record: Denver's Carmelo Anthony. There's some logic to this. Vandeweghe drafted Anthony when he was general manager of the Nuggets, and certainly Anthony is the type of dynamic player the Nets will need to aid their resurgence (and he's young enough at 23).

Moreover, there may be some incentive from Denver's end. The team is well over the luxury tax threshold, and Anthony has a maximum salary, but it hasn't produced results to match the expenditures. In two years with Anthony and Allen Iverson, the Nuggets have yet to win a home playoff game. Additionally, his game hasn't meshed well with Iverson's, and each might play better without the other.

Understand that at this juncture, there is very little likelihood of such a deal going down. If they're willing to part with Anthony at all, the Nuggets would demand cap relief and a star of similar wattage at a bare minimum. That would almost certainly require the Nets to include a third team — which is the place where most trade discussions die a slow, horrible death.

Nonetheless, you have to be impressed that the Nets are swinging for the fences. No, they're probably not getting Anthony. But it's worth checking out.

And for the first time in a while, the Nets have some assets they can throw into a deal. For starters, they have two first-round picks they can include, one of which is their own lottery choice. Presuming they don't win the Michael Beasley sweepstakes in Secaucus on Tuesday, the Nets would have to consider moving that pick — which is likely to be no. 11 — if the right deal came along.

That's not all the Nets have to offer. They've also got several intriguing young pieces. Devin Harris, obviously, is one, though he's probably a keeper given his contract status (signed for five more years at $35 million).

They also have two young, big men that can be part of a deal. The emergence of Josh Boone this year makes him a valuable trade pawn should the Nets go after bigger fish, as he will make chump change for two more seasons while playing a position where teams normally spend several million dollars. Additionally, Sean Williams also has many fans around the league (although Lawrence Frank isn't one of them), and would be an enticement in any trade scenario.

Of course, there are also the usual mainstays of Nets trade discussions, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson. It's likely one of the two would have to be part of any blockbuster trade scenario, simply because it's the only way for the contracts to match up and keep both the Nets and their trading partner from violating salary cap rules.

Alas, that's only half the story. The other part is finding somebody worth trading for, and this is where the Nets run into some issues. They need to find somebody who is a) young, b) talented, and c) on the market. Since items a) and b) normally preclude c) from ever happening, it's a bit like finding a needle in a haystack.

But look hard enough and a few possibilities emerge. While the blooming spring flowers have us thinking optimistically, here are a few more names to ponder pursuing this summer:

Josh Smith: A 22-year-old forward for the Hawks who led the league in blocked shots, Smith is an emerging force who could become an All-Star next season. While Frank wouldn't be a fan of his suspect's hoops IQ, his talent more than makes up for it.

Obtaining him would be tricky, though. Smith is a restricted free agent, and the Nets would have to ride in with a sign-and-trade scenario at the last minute after another team with more cap space tried to sign Smith first ... and the Hawks would have to be willing to move him. Both scenarios are doubtful.

Smith is in the same boat with several other talented forwards, among them Luol Deng of Chicago, Andre Iguodala of Philadelphia, and his teammate Josh Childress; Golden State's center Andris Biedrins and guard Monta Ellis are also restricted free agents. In each case, the Nets don't appear to stand much of a chance — they don't have the cap space to sign them outright and would need to land them in a sign-and-trade deal, which is very rare for players of this caliber. But as with Anthony, it never hurts to ask.

Rashard Lewis: Okay, his contract is terrible. But think about it: Doesn't something along the lines of Vince and change for Lewis make sense all the way around? The Magic get the two-guard they've needed, and a shot creator to take some of the strain off Hedo Turkoglu, and the Nets get a knockdown shooter with a lot more career left and the perfect small-ball weapon, as Lewis is 6 feet, 10 inches.

No, he doesn't pair well with Jefferson, but don't sweat it — R.J. would probably be going, too. But Lewis is a bit older than a rebuilding team would prefer — he'll be 29 in August. Plus, he's got five more years of max money coming his way, making him even more of a cap-killer than Vince.

Andrew Bynum: Here's one worth looking into. With L.A. functioning so well with a frontcourt of Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom while Bynum recuperates from a knee injury, one wonders if they'd be willing to move him, rather than extend the contract of the 20-year-old, 7-footer this summer.

Plus, Bynum's a Jersey boy (Metuchen) who presumably might not mind leaving Hollywood to come home. Obviously, this would require a huge bounty on the Nets' part. But if his knee recovers, the Nets have themselves a low-post building block for the next decade-plus.

jhollinger@nysun.com