MIAMI — The Nets entered the free-agency frenzy in the summer of 2010 with a new owner in Mikhail Prokhorov, a new head coach in Avery Johnson and big plans for their future in Brooklyn.
There was just one problem: They still had to spend two more years in New Jersey.
So despite meeting with many of the stars who hit free agency that summer, including LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, the Nets emerged from those meetings empty-handed.
“It was hard to see where they were [heading] at the time,” said James before his 20-point, 12-rebound, eight-assist effort helped the Heat beat the Nets 103-73 Wednesday night. “It was great to talk to their owner, and talk to Coach Johnson.
“I had a great meeting with those guys, but ultimately we all know where I landed at. I’m happy I’m here, and it’s working out for them, as well.”
James and Wade, of course, teamed up with Chris Bosh and headed to south Florida, where they have reached two straight NBA Finals and won the championship last season. The Nets, meanwhile, eventually landed their face of the franchise when they traded for Deron Williams late in the 2010-11 season, and spent over $300 million this summer to overhaul their roster as they prepared to move to Brooklyn.
After hearing Prokhorov and the rest of the Nets’ contingent speak about their plans for the future, Wade wasn’t surprised to see the once-moribund franchise undergo such an overhaul.
“They had a very great presentation when I was in the meeting with them,” said Wade, who scored a game-high 22 points. “It was very exciting to think about Brooklyn, to think about being the first. I knew what they were embarking on was going to be exciting, … But at that time that was two years away. We were at a point where we [wanted to] do it now.
“Once they [were] able to get Deron Williams down there I knew they had the right centerpiece … and having Brook Lopez already, he’s one of the best centers in our league. There’s excitement [about it] around the league. It’s great for our league. Its great for fans of our game, and obviously it’s great for Brooklyn.’’
It’s also safe to say that if the Nets had been in Brooklyn, they’d have had a much better shot at landing at least one, if not more, of the stars in that 2010 free-agent class.
When Wade was asked if the Nets have become more attractive as a franchise now that they’re inside the city limits, he smiled and said, “Oh yeah … I’m sure they’ll be a lot more attractive to guys.”
And, for his part, James was complimentary of the transformation the franchise has made over the past several months.
“It’s not surprising,” he said. “It’s what they’ve had working. I congratulated my mentor, Jay-Z, on their opening night and seeing that dream come true, not only for the city of Brooklyn. We all know he’s from Brooklyn, and having ownership in the team, I think it’s great for him, as well, to be a part of something so special. It’s great for the city.”
James even said the Nets have a “cool factor” — something the franchise never could have claimed while playing in New Jersey despite some terrific teams, particularly when Jason Kidd was running the show.
“I mean, just from the outside looking in, looking at that state of the art arena that they have, that’s cool,” James said. “Jay-Z is cool. D-Will is cool. So I guess they have a cool factor.”