Okay, so it's not Elton Brand's defection or Baron Davis headed home, but there are other free agents floating out there, and they're starting to find new homes. Two signings lead me to a strange conclusion. The New Jersey Nets are quite possibly the most interesting team in the Eastern Conference.
Hear me out.
A lot of the time, it seems like teams are just trying to keep their heads above water by signing whatever is left. There doesn't seem to be a long term plan in place, and if there is one, it's usually a Grizzlies-like scorched earth policy. The Nets are finding players to fill their roster. They're going to be competitive. They have some nice young pieces, like Devin Harris. They have the superstar, Vince Carter. They're signing some nice role players for next season.
And they're doing all of this while leaving cap space in 2010, reserved for you-know-who.
Now, there's absolutely no guarantee that this plan will bear fruit. There's no way to tell if they'll make the playoffs, or even be competitive (who knows with Vince Carter). And there's no guarantee that New York City will provide enough incentive to leave all the beauty and culture of Cleveland,Ohio. But there's clearly a plan in place.
And that's where Eduardo Najera and Jarvis Hayes come into play.
Eduardo Najera is a journeyman workhorse. Good for defense and hustle off the bench. As far as free agents go, he's not the cream of the crop, but he's not the bottom of the barrel, either. He provides a veteran rebounder, and gives the Nets some flexibility with Nachbar.
Jarvis Hayes is also a solid bench guy, good for perimeter shooting and defense. He can hit some big shots in key situations and can be the quintessential glue guy.
How do these signings play into the plan? Hayes took the mid level exception, for a two year deal. Do your math. That ends in ... ? 2010.
How about Najera? Well he signed for four years at $12 Million. But get this. The deal might be front-loaded, so that he receives the bulk of his money in the first two years, leaving his contract low for 2010.
So the Nets have filled out their roster, have young talent, movable contracts, veteran leaders who won't bulk up 2010, and aren't overspending. Sounds like a plan to me.
