2008 Outlook

The New Jersey Nets decline in 2007 sparked the trade of heralded point guard Jason Kidd to the Dallas Mavericks for young point guard Devin Harris and a handful of role players. The move marks an attempt to keep the team competitive in the future as the move to Brooklyn from East Rutherford approaches. The new nucleus of the Atlantic Division team keeps explosive guard Vince Carter and small forward Richard Jefferson and Devin Harris, a point guard with a bright future, and athletic power forward Sean Williams, who the Nets gambled on in the 2007 draft.

Team History

The New Jersey Nets are one of four franchises that came over to the NBA in the 1976 NBA-ABA merger. The Nets, originally the Americans, started in New Jersey, but moved to Long Island shortly before moving back to New Jersey after financial pressures from the New York Knicks forced them to lose Hall of Fame forward Julius Erving.

Dr. J had been the last piece in the puzzle for the Nets, as they won the 1974 ABA Finals after struggling to climb their way out to the league’s cellar. The move to the NBA forced the Nets ownership to renege on the promised pay raise for Julius Erving and resulted in the selling of his contract to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Nets were competitive in the 1980s, but never advanced beyond the early rounds of the playoffs. The 1990s saw a young team loaded with talent. Power forward Derrick Coleman, point guard Kenny Anderson, and shooting guard Drazen Petrovic, the league’s first European sensation, but the tragic death of Drazen Petrovic in 1993 and a selfish team image hindered a team that never lived up to its potential.

The 21st century saw the New Jersey Nets acquire point guard Jason Kidd and immediately propel the team to the top of the Eastern Conference and multiple NBA Championship appearances. The team began its slow decline through drastically changing rosters after the loss in the 2003 NBA Championship to the San Antonio Spurs that had them constantly falling short in the playoffs.

The Nets, after being sold to a group of investors that includes real estate developer Bruce Ratner, are working on a new arena, the Barclays Center, which will bring the team back to New York in 2010. To see Vince Carter and Devin Harris live visit TheSeats.com for the best tickets.