John Hollinger, never one to mince words, lists the Nets and their new owner as one of free agency's big losers, citing all the usual reasons: they couldn't persuade any of the top free agents to take a shot on their future; they overpaid to a "ridiculous" degree to get Travis Outlaw (5 years, $35 million) and Johan Petro (3 years, $10 million); and he hints, they lost in the exchange of Billy King for Rod Thorn.
He reserves his biggest criticism for the Nets new owner: "they'll at least double their win total, but Prokhorov's arrival as a power player appears to have been wildly overstated.
He does give the Nets credit for using their money on players under the age of 25, getting "unbelievable value" from Anthony Morrow and maintaining their young core. Bottom line: "There will be no quick fix in New Jersey."
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NBA free agency: John Hollinger's offseason losers - John Hollinger - ESPN Insider