In an interview with FOX Business Channel, Brett Yormark offered his opinion on the prospects of Deron Williams making his way to Brooklyn. "He loves being in New York."

If Dwight Howard stays in Orlando, will Deron Williams be willing to put down roots in Brooklyn? That of course could become the big question at 3:01 p.m. Thursday. If he signs with the Nets, he will get a fifth year and a total of $109 million, about $24 million more than if he opts out.

The president of the Russian hockey league, the KHL, told a Russian sports publication that his teams will play both regular season and exhibition games at the Barclays Center this season.

The Nets are slowly rolling out their plans for the team's last home game in New Jersey on April 23. The program for Saturday's game vs. the Rockets included a page promoting "this celebratory evening" --when the Nets face the 76ers-- will include "special guest appearances by past Nets players and coaches, video tributes, giveaways and more!"

Bruce Ratner spoke with Charlie Rose for a half hour Friday night, most of the conversation centered on Barclays Center, which the arena majority owner called, "one of the most important civic buildings built in the city" ... "the most important arena built in the last half century in this country" ... "the beginning of 21st century architecture in the city."

The next deadline is the big deadline, the one Nets fans have awaited since December. Will it be anti-climactic if it passes with Dwight Howard still in Orlando? How will the Nets know if Orlando is going to hold on to Howard? Will Otis Smith make an announcement? If he doesn't let the Nets know, how does that affect other deals, starting with salary dumps, they may want to do?

The Nets of course will be the biggest winner when Barclays Center opens in September, but another basketball program, the LIU Blackbirds, may be right behind him. The Blackbirds will play two of the first games at the billion dollar arena next season, a big lift for the rising Division I program a subway stop away.

Brett Yormark tweeted Monday morning that the Nets business operations staff will begin their move to Brooklyn later in the day, the first staff, other than a small legal contingent, to leave New Jersey. The Nets are moving to a Bruce Ratner office building, 15 MetroTech, a subway stop from Barclays Center. Basketball operations will remain in New Jersey at least through next season.

Barclays Center will use "In Brooklyn" as its marketing theme. The marketing campaign for the arena launches this week with black-and-white ads on billboards and in the subways, as well as newspapers. There will be a radio campaign as well. The campaign will focus on the return of professional sports 55 years after the Dodgers left for L.A.

You will not hear Brett Yormark or Bruce Ratner badmouth the Knicks or Madison Square Garden, but the two of them are quietly booking big college games at Barclays Center knowing that college hoops is at least as important to the Garden's reputation as the Knicks.