The Nets intend to use their flirtation with the Islanders to market themselves and Barclays Center to Long Island which Brett Yormark calls "a core market and one we're going to be very aggressive going after, not just for the Nets but in general. There are a tremendous amount of possibilities in that marketplace.''

An October 2 preseason hockey game between the Islanders and Devils will be the first sports event at the arena, which Yormark said he hopes will be a "sampling opportunity'' for all concerned. "We'll see where it goes,'' he said.

The Islanders, of course, are looking for a new home. Their lease at Nassau Coliseum runs out in 2015 and although Barclays can only seat 14,500 for hockey, the Islanders are obviously interested. Yormark calls Islander owner Charles Wang a "friend" and and added, "We have an open line of communication with him.'

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