Rod Thorn has a big decision to make this weekend. By Monday afternoon, he will have to inform the NBA League Office whether the Nets will pick up a fourth year option on Zoran Planinic at a cost of $1.5 million. If the Nets decline to pick up Z’s option, he will be an unrestricted free agent next July 1.
There have also been recent discussions of how Thorn supposedly "blew it" drafting Wright [and according to one bbb.net poster, Ilic as well].
So here’s my Rod Thorn report card.
I have given Thorn A+ grades for drafting Kenyon Martin; trading for Jason Kidd; trading for Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins and Brandon Armstrong; drafting Nenad Krstic; signing Kidd to an extension; signing Jefferson to an extension; trading for Vince Carter; trading for Shareef Abdur Rahim; and trading for Marc Jackson, which may be the most one-sided trade of all.
I have given Thorn F grades for drafting Soumaila Soumake; trading for Dikembe Mutombo; signing Chris Childs; selling the second round pick in 2003 and the first round pick in 2004; declining to pick up the option on Anthony Johnson; signing Alonzo Mourning; signing Eddie Griffin; using the KMart trade exception on Elden Campbell and rescinding the Abdur-Rahim trade [an F Incomplete].
There are also two full incompletes: for drafting Christian Drejer and Mile Ilic.
2000:
June 2000 - picked Kenyon Martin as overall No. 1 [A+] and Soumaila Samake with the 36th pick [F]
July 2000 - signed Aaron Williams to MLE [B+]
2001:
June 2001 - traded Stephon Marbury, Soumale Samaki and Johnny Newman to Phoenix for Jason Kidd and Chris Dudley [A+].
June 2001 - traded Eddie Griffin draft rights to Houston for Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins, Brandon Armstrong and drafted Brian Scalabrine with the 35th pick [A+]
July 2001 - did not offer contract to Stephen Jackson [D]
July 2001 - released Dudley [A]
August 2001 - signed Todd McColluch to MLE [B+]
August 2001 - signed Derrick Dial as Kidd back up [F]
November 2001 - signed Anthony Johnson as Kidd back up [B+]
2002:
June 2002 - drafted Nenad Krstic [A+] with the 24th pick and Tamar Slay with the 54th pick [D]
August 2002 - traded Keith Van Horn and McColluch to Philadelphia for Dikembe Mutombo [F]
August 2002 - signed Chris Childs [F]
August 2002 - signed Rodney Rogers [C-]
September 2002 - re-signed Anthony Johnson [B] after cutting Childs [C]
2003:
June 2003 - drafted Zoran Planinic [C] with the 22nd pick, sold draft pick of Korver for $150,000 [F]
July 2003 - declined to pick up option on Anthony Johnson [F]
July 2003 - re-signed Kidd to six year contract [A+]
July 2003 - signed Alonzo Mourning [F]
2004:
January 2004 - signed Eddie Griffin then was forced to release him after he is jailed [F]
June 2004 - sold first round draft pick to Portland for $3 million [F], drafted Christian Drejer with the 51st pick [I]
July 2004 - traded Martin to Denver for three draft choices and $5 million trade exception [C]
July 2004 - traded Kittles and $1.5 million to LA Clippers for Clippers second round draft choice and $10.2 million trade exception [A-]
August 2004 - signed Rodney Buford [D] and Jacque Vaughn [B]
August 2004 - signed Ron Mercer to LLE [D]
August 2004 - signed Krstic to rookie contract [A]
August 2004 - signed Kyle Davis to non guaranteed contract [D]
August 2004 - waived Lucious Harris [B]
August 2004 - signed Eric Williams to partial MLE [B+]
September 2004 - re-signed Richard Jefferson to a six-year $78 million contract [A+]
September 2004 - signed Jabari Smith [D] and Travis Best [B] to partially guaranteed contracts.
October 2004 - re-signed Jason Collins to a four year, $24 million contract [B+]
December 2004 - signed and later released Kaniel Dickens [D]
December 2004 - traded Eric Williams, Alonzo Mourning, Aaron Williams and two draft picks obtained in the Martin trade for Vince Carter [A+]
December 2004 - signed and later released Jerome Moiso [D-]
2005:
January 2005 - signed Billy Thomas [D] and Donnell Harvey who was quickly released [D]
January 2005 - used $4.4 million of the Martin trade exception to sign Elden Campbell off waivers then released him [F]
February 2005 - used $5.2 million of the Kittles trade exception along with two second round draft choices--Clippers 2005 and Nets' 2007--to acquire Cliff Robinson [B]
June 2005 - picked up team option on Jacque Vaughn at $1 million [B]
June 2005 - declined to pick up team option on Cliff Robinson at $5.87 million [A]
June 2005 - drafted Antoine Wright with the 15th pick [B] and Mile Ilic with the 43rd pick [I]
July 2005 - used the remaining $5 million from the Kittles trade exception along with the Nets 2006 first round draft pick to acquire Shareef Abdur-Rahim from Portland [A+]
July 2005 - re-signed Robinson to a two-year, $4.5 million contract [B]
July 2005 - signed Jeff McInnis to a two-year, $7 million contract [B+]
August 2005 - rescinded the Abdur-Rahim trade [F/I]
August 2005 - traded the right to exchange second-round draft choices and the remaining $5 million from the Kittles trade exception to Philadephia for Marc Jackson and $3 million in cash [A+]
August 2005 - released Mercer under the NBA amnesty clause [A]
September 2005 - signed Linton Johnson III to a vets minimum contract [C]
September 2005 - retained the draft rights to Christian Drejer [I]
September 2005 - signed Lamond Murray to a vets minimum contract [C+]
September 2005 - signed Scott Padgett to a two year $3.3 million contract [B-]
The grades are based on the move's ultimate outcome vs. its immediate impact...as well as the value or cost to the team. Drafting Soumake for example would seem inconsequential until you realize who was drafted after him: Michael Redd, Eduardo Najera, Eddie House, Brian Cardinal. Even though the Nets passed on Gilbert Arenas and chose Armstrong, getting two starters in return for a guy later jailed makes up for it.