It's all about the draft now, with a parade of individual tryouts slated to begin this week and the adidas Treviso EuroCamp, the last group workout, scheduled for the week after. Expect mock drafts to become more frequent and more accurate as the month goes on. The Draft itself of course will be held at Newark's Prudential Center this June because its traditional venue, Madison Square Garden is being renovated. Tickets are on sale. Same thing with the Liberty who will be in Newark for three summers starting June 11.
Then, after the draft, a basketball development camp featuring newly minted mega-superstar Kris Humphries, the announcement of the Springfield Armor coaching staff, D-League tryouts, there's the looming lockout. Mikhail Prokhorov's political debut is also on the schedule. It's one whacky franchise.
June 2 - Individual workouts begin for the Nets.
June 2 - Premium ticket plans for Barclays Center go on sale to general public. (Fall for non premium plans).
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. Newark May Cory Booker reports that with the Nets, Liberty, Seton Hall and NCAA Regionals, "The Rock" is the #3 venue in the US for basketball this year.
June 11-13 - Adidas Treviso EuroCamp. European prospects gather in Treviso, Italy, just outside Venice, to work out in front of NBA scouts and general managers. Nets' director of player personnel, Gregg Polinsky, will join international scout, Danko Cvjeticanin, in Treviso.
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. If the draft were held today and no picks are added or subtracted before that night, the Nets will pick at #27 (Lakers) and #36. King has said the Nets are likely to be focusing on "wings and bigs" but will take the "best available player". Expect Nets to reach out to several undrafted players that night as well.
June 24-26 - D-League National Tryout, HOOPS, Louisville. Participants will be competing for the chance to sign an NBA D-League standard player contract and to be placed in the 2011 NBA D-League Draft, held in November. The Nets have set this week as a deadline for hiring at least the head coach for the Springfield Armor.
June 25 - Party Congress, Pravoye Delo, Moscow. Mikhail Prokhorov will become party leader of a small, liberal, pro-business political party. He will announce the party's plans and a new name at the congress.
June 27-30 - Nets basketball development camp, PNY Center. Avery Johnson, Kris Humphries and "special guests" will be on hand for the camp. No doubt some gossip writers will want press credentials too. Steel yourself, Suss.
June 30 - End of old collective bargaining agreement, possible start of lockout?
July 1 - First day teams can start talking with free agents. Expect deals to be announced but not signed the next day...as long as there's no 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 (BIG assumptions), 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..