ESPN Insider Request Nets Gameplan to Lure Lebron

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[h1]What Nets have to offer LeBron[/h1]

By Chad Ford
ESPN.com
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Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty ImagesLeBron may be lining up alongside T-Will each game if a new owner and stadium can draw James in.

In recent weeks we've wrestled with the biggest question in sports: Where will LeBron James land this summer?

In particular, I've detailed how the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls will make their respective pitches to LeBron when July 1 arrives, provided LBJ chooses to opt out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers and look around at his options.

Today we take a look at the team across the Hudson River from the Knicks, the New Jersey Nets. And, as in the case of the Knicks, a well-placed source familiar with the Nets' plans has provided insight into how the team will pursue LeBron.

Like the Knicks, the Nets have torn down their team to create the opportunity to acquire James and/or another top-tier free agent. In the past 2½ years, New Jersey has traded away Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson for young assets and expiring contracts to clear salary space (and ensure high draft picks).

Now that they have the cap room to pursue a top free agent, how will the Nets try to lure LeBron to New Jersey?

When new owner Mikhail Prokhorov, GM Rod Thorn and new head coach Avery Johnson make their pitch to LeBron and his team of advisors, here are their talking points, according to our source:
[h3]1. "The Nets are about to go big-time."[/h3]
After years of toiling in the shadow of the Knicks -- at least in the eyes of local fans -- the Nets are moving closer to Gotham's center stage thanks to Prokhorov, their new gazillionaire owner, and a move to Brooklyn, expected to happen in two years.

Prokhorov could be especially appealing to LeBron. He is a young, hip entrepreneur who eats, drinks and breathes basketball. He built a Euroleague champion in Moscow and has made it clear that he'll spare no expense to turn the Nets into winners.

Not only that, but Prokhorov can sell LeBron on a plan to increase his standing as a "global icon," as James once labeled his ambitions.

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Larry Busacca/Getty Images for New Jersey NetsOwners don't get much more high-profile than Mikhail Prokhorov and longtime LeBron pal Jay-Z.

My source explained why Prokhorov might appeal to LeBron:

"The Nets have an owner with global reach and unlimited resources. They're starting construction on a new state-of-the-art arena in Brooklyn.

"New York fans are hungry for a winner, and I think the Nets could easily eclipse the Knicks with LeBron. I think to be a part of it, to be the face of it, will be very appealing to LeBron.

"Prokhorov has spent much of his life among the most elite people in the world. He understands today's athletes and has the power to help them broaden their reach globally. Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods weren't just American sports heroes. They were global icons. I think Prokhorov can do that for LeBron in a way no other owner can."

Of course, it's well-known that the Nets' ownership group has another high-profile member: Jay-Z, a friend and mentor to LeBron, and arguably the most powerful and influential person in the hip-hop industry. Just as Prokhorov can appeal to LeBron's business ambitions, Jay-Z can reach LeBron on a level that few others could, according to my source. In short, LeBron listens to Jay-Z.

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[h3]2. "We have a strong young supporting cast."[/h3]
While much is being made of the supporting cast LeBron would join if he bolted to the Bulls or Los Angeles Clippers, the Nets believe they can offer LeBron an intriguing set of teammates, according to my source.

Start with big man Brook Lopez.

"Every wing man elevates his game when he plays with a great big man, and Lopez is really turning into one," the source said. "There isn't another team in free agency that can offer LeBron a better big to play with than the Nets."

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Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty ImagesLooking for a big-time wingman? Brook Lopez could become one of the league's best post players.

Lopez, who just turned 22, had an excellent sophomore season, averaging 18.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 37 minutes per game for the Nets in 2009-10. He regularly drew a double-team in the paint and could open things up for LeBron. Especially when compared to big men Eddy Curry (Knicks), Joakim Noah (Bulls) and Anderson Varejao (Cavaliers), Lopez seems to have a very high ceiling.

By the time they talk to LeBron, the Nets will have another talented young player on board. Whether they use the No. 3 pick in the June 24 NBA draft on Evan Turner, Derrick Favors or DeMarcus Cousins, they'll be able to tout their new player as another potential star.

In addition, the Nets have other young assets -- particularly Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, Yi Jianlian and Terrence Williams. But it's possible that rather than filling out the supporting cast per se, these players, in some combination, could be traded away for the cap space needed to sign another major free agent, such as Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire or Carlos Boozer, especially if that's what it takes to get LeBron to sign. Or the Nets could package some of those players in a direct trade for one of the other top free agents.

"The Nets have a lot of flexibility because they don't have any bad contracts on the books," the source said. "Even if you're not a Harris fan or a Yi fan, there are plenty of GMs who are. The Nets will be able to move those players into other slots to clear more room if they need to."

How much more space would the Nets need to clear to be far enough under to lure a second maximum-salary free agent to New Jersey? Currently they are projected to have around $27 million in cap room this summer, enough to get one max free agent and have about $10 million to spend. To land two max free agents, they would need to drop another $6-7 million off their books. Trading Harris, for example, to a team with cap space would do the trick.

In other words, the source says, the Nets have the makings of a strong supporting cast for LeBron -- and the ability to make it even better.

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[h3]3. "Avery Johnson is a winner."[/h3]
Last week's hiring of Avery Johnson as the Nets' new coach raised one big question around the league: Will Johnson be able to attract a top-tier free agent like LeBron?

The question arises in part from the way things unraveled for Johnson in his first head-coaching gig, in Dallas. After the Mavericks' meltdown in the 2006 Finals, they lost in a shocking first-round series versus the Golden State Warriors, and followed that with another first-round elimination in 2008, spelling the end for Johnson.

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Glenn James/NBAE/Getty ImagesNew head man Avery Johnson has the best winning percentage ever.

Along the way, Johnson developed a rep as a no-nonsense coach who wasn't afraid to speak his mind -- but also as a control freak who micromanaged both young players and veterans. Toward the end of his tenure with the Mavericks, veterans including the likes of Kidd were less than thrilled with his leadership.

Still, Johnson is widely respected in the league. During his tenure in Dallas, he won NBA Coach of the Year honors and accumulated a 194-70 record, a .735 winning percentage which remains the best in NBA history.

But perhaps most importantly to LeBron, Johnson is a former player. Several sources have told ESPN.com that having a former NBA player as a head coach is important to James. Johnson won a championship ring with the San Antonio Spurs in 1999, hitting a series-clinching jumper, and played in the league for more than a decade, earning the nickname "The Little General" for his take-charge style. While he was never a star, Johnson played and played well at the highest level.

The source justified the team's choice: "The Nets needed a coach that had good teaching skills, leadership skills and will understand the fundamental X's and O's of the game. The Nets have been a poor defensive team. They felt like ultimately it's a defensive mindset that wins championships.

"I think LeBron knows that. It didn't work out with Mike Brown [in Cleveland], but Avery's a different guy.

"Ultimately I think players crave discipline. If LeBron wants to be on a team with young players, he needs a coach who can deliver that. If he wants to be on a team with seasoned veterans, then he can always go back to Cleveland. But it didn't work there. I think he's going to have to be open to new ideas. "

While the Nets have no way of knowing for sure whether LeBron is OK with Johnson, you can bet they did their homework to make sure he wasn't against the signing.

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[h3]4. "Brooklyn is your future home."[/h3]
When Prokhorov and Jay-Z talk to LeBron, they won't just sell themselves. They'll also sell Brooklyn, where the Nets are eventually headed.

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David Dow/NBAE/Getty ImagesThe Barclays Center, home to the Nets' new stadium in Brooklyn, is expected to open in 2012.

"I keep hearing how the Knicks are a better destination than the Nets because the Knicks are at Madison Square Garden and the Nets will be in Brooklyn," the source said. "I don't think so. The new arena is going to be six minutes from Wall Street and 20 minutes from midtown via train. That's basically the same trip it takes to get to Madison Square Garden.

"The fans in Brooklyn are passionate. They're hungry for a winner. LeBron would be the king of New York if he plays there."

And if New York City is LeBron's chosen destination, Brooklyn offers access to much the same marketing opportunities, business possibilities and cultural life as Manhattan, as the Nets will point out. So while they may not have the same history and cachet as the Knicks, the Nets will offer a similar future, according to the source.

New Jersey does not appear to be the front-runner for LeBron's services. But if he is willing to listen to the Nets explain what his future could look like, he will probably like what he hears.

 

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