Making the Leap to the NBA

[Shapecity]

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Antoine Wright knew it was time to go.

Maybe Texas A&M would challenge for the Big 12 Conference title next season. Maybe he would achieve All-America status in his senior year with the Aggies.

Then again, maybe he would blow out his anterior cruciate ligament and watch his professional basketball career fade into the sunset.

When the 6-foot-7-inch junior swingman from West Covina, Calif., put his name in for early entry into the NBA Draft and kept it there last month, there was no turning back. And even though the New Jersey Nets never invited him for a workout, they were interested in selecting Wright.

Unbeknownst to Wright, the Nets had been following him since 2002 when he was playing in the Global Games in Dallas, team president Rod Thorn said on the Nets' Web site. The team liked his abilities as a shooter and defender.

He was still available when New Jersey picked at No. 15. And to his shock and happiness, Wright was headed for the Meadowlands.

"I couldn't believe it," said Wright, who will make his pro debut at 1 p.m. today in the Vegas Summer League when the Nets face the Dallas Mavericks at Cox Pavilion. "Not working out for them, not knowing what they were looking for, I didn't think I'd be in Jersey."

But Wright is thrilled to be going to a team that has had success the last few years and has Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson on its roster.

"I'm going to get to learn from some great players," Wright said. "But I'm a rookie. I'm going to have to take my hits and learn."

That might be Wright's toughest transition. At Texas A&M, he was the Aggies' leading scorer and was fourth in the Big 12 at 17.8 points per game. He was used to being the go-to guy, but with the Nets, he won't be expected to assume that role as Kidd, Carter and Jefferson will continue to handle most of the scoring.

"I'm here to learn," Wright said. "But I still want to be able to contribute. I'm a mature player. I can come in right away and compete." </div>

Source

 

[Ma3oxuct]

He was just as surprised as I was when the Nets called his name

.

I think that the Nets followed a rather interesting draft strategy where they secretly follow a guy, such that no other teams can expect the Nets to draft him. I do not know if I said this on these forums before, but I think that this pick will pay off dearly if there is a lengthy injury to Carter (It still cannot be over looked that he is injury prone) or Jefferson.

 

[Mr.Wade]

Decent pick... as long as the Nets aquire a quality 4 in the offseason, which I'm sure they will be able to do.

I mean who doesn't want to play with Jason Kidd... he'd even make me score 5 points a game in the NBA!!!

 

[Henacy]

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting xpehbamxyu:</div><div class="quote_post">He was just as surprised as I was when the Nets called his name

.

I think that the Nets followed a rather interesting draft strategy where they secretly follow a guy, such that no other teams can expect the Nets to draft him. I do not know if I said this on these forums before, but I think that this pick will pay off dearly if there is a lengthy injury to Carter (It still cannot be over looked that he is injury prone) or Jefferson.</div>

Iam not really for sure the Nets were following him that hard, I think of course like all players available in the draft, they were doing their research on him. But I think he kind of fell into New Jersey's lap so to speak. I think the stratergy was that if a guy like Ike Diogu was gone the Nets would then take the best perimeter wing player available to add security off the bench cause they didnt have faith in Mercer and no intentions on resigning Buford. I love the way I perimeter looks right now at the 2 & 3 spot with a rotation of Carter, Jefferson, Wright...and hopefully a cheap shooter to throw in as the fourth guard. And we get rid of Mercer by some chance.

 

[Ma3oxuct]

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Henacy:</div><div class="quote_post">And we get rid of Mercer by some chance.</div>

Trade of some sort maybe?

Perhaps with Portland

 

[Henacy]

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting xpehbamxyu:</div><div class="quote_post">Trade of some sort maybe?

Perhaps with Portland

</div>

Hmmm....I dont think so because I dont believe you can package a player in with a trade exemption..and that is what would be needed to set up a sign & trade with Portland to land Shareef.

 

[Ma3oxuct]

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Henacy:</div><div class="quote_post">Hmmm....I dont think so because I dont believe you can package a player in with a trade exemption..and that is what would be needed to set up a sign & trade with Portland to land Shareef.</div>

I think you can:

A sign and trade works like any other trade.

Portland signs SAR for 10 million the first year (for example) and immediatly trades him to NJ for Mercer (lets say 4.5 million) and the exemption (5.5 million).

Ofcourse, Mercer in reality is not 4.5 million, but more like 1.76, but the Nets can also include Planinic 940,000, and even Collins (~4 million). This is a way that they can be able to give SAR more money. Other teams, however, like Miami and San Antonio can also do simular things.

 

[Iguodala]

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting xpehbamxyu:</div><div class="quote_post">Trade of some sort maybe?

Perhaps with Portland

</div>

Yeah but you can"t really get anyone better and i don"t think they want him

 

[XSV]

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I think you can:

A sign and trade works like any other trade.

Portland signs SAR for 10 million the first year (for example) and immediatly trades him to NJ for Mercer (lets say 4.5 million) and the exemption (5.5 million).</div>

No I think Henacy is right. I don't know much about all the signing rules, but I'm pretty sure if the Nets could package players in with the exception, to sign Reef for more, they'd have already tried it.

 

[Henacy]

You can not package a player with a trade exemption to my knowledge only a draft picks. Portland is probably going to ask for the Clippers pick that we have but I dont think Rod Thorn is going to bit...he would give up our first rounder tho...