It's all about the Draft now. Billy King said Wednesday he doesn't expect to make any trades prior to the Draft because the old CBA ends a week later. No sense making a big deal when you don't know how the collective bargaining agreement is going to affect you.
"I don't know if you want to make trades before this gets settled, because you're not going to make a trade to make significant cap space if you don't know what the cap is," King said. Under NBA rules, the Nets can make trades with any team not in the playoffs...or as they're eliminated.
Plans for the Nets' big mass workout on May 7-8 are being firmed up. All 30 teams are expected to attend.
April 25 - NBA Early Entry Eligibility Deadline (11:59 p.m. ET). College underclassmen and international players must declare early eligibility. Few players remain on the fence. Some of the biggest names have said they're going back to school, including Harrison Barnes, Perry Jones and Jared Sullinger. We've yet to hear from many of the international players.
April 29 - NBA Teams may conduct or attend workouts with Early Entrants.
May 1 - Nets take over basketball operations of Springfield Armor. Team begins process of hiring a GM, assistant GM, coaching staff, trainer and scouts for their D-League team.
May 7-8 - Draft Workout, PNY Center. In order to beat the NCAA's early withdrawal deadline (see below), the Nets are hosting a mass workout of college prospects. Although the deadline only applies to college underclassmen, seniors and international players are welcome.
May 8 - NCAA Early Entrant withdrawal deadline for college underclassmen to decide whether to stay in the NBA Draft or lose their NCAA eligibility. Where will CBA negotiations stand at that point and how will it affect decisions, particularly by members of the freshman class? The draft, already seen as weak, could get a lot weaker.
May 12 - First anniversary of Mikhail Prokhorov's takeover of the Nets. Expect report cards on how he's done. At best, they will be mixed.
May 17 - NBA Draft Lottery, NBA TV Studios, Secaucus, NJ. The lottery and the draft will both be in New Jersey this year. Jazz now hold the Nets' first round pick. If the Kings gets the the #5 pick in the lottery then the Nets get #35 in the second round, breaking the tie with Sacramento (assuming of course they're not the Anaheim Royals by then.)
June 4-7 - Adidas Treviso EuroCamp. European prospects gather in Treviso, Italy, just outside Venice, to work out in front of NBA scouts and general managers.
June 11 - New York Liberty opens their home season at Prudential Center. The Dolans may own them but they will become New Jersey's team for three years as Madison Square Garden is renovated during the summer.
June 13 - NBA Early Entrant withdrawal deadline. Primarily applies to international players. Unlike college players, international players can re-sign overseas if there is a lockout. Expect international players to dominate in draft speculation.
June 23 - NBA Draft, Prudential Center, Newark. With the Garden undergoing renovations, the Draft moves across the Hudson to Newark as well. If the draft were held today and no choices are added or subtracted before the deadline or that night, the Nets would have the #27 (Lakers) and the #35 or #36 pick. King has said the Nets are likely to be focusing on "wings and bigs" but will take the "best available player".
June 30 - End of old collective bargaining agreement, possible start of lockout?
July 5 - Nets must decide whether to keep Stephen Graham for 2011-2012 season. If he is cut by July 5 the Nets owe him nothing. If they keep him, he gets a guaranteed $100,000.
July 18 - Assuming no lockout and no significant changes to the CBA, this is the first day Deron Williams could sign a contract extension with the Nets. Neither of those two assumptions are likely to turn into reality. So the D-Will signing saga is likely to move into the new season whenever and if ever it starts..