If there are any Nets fans out there who think the Nets can’t get anyone with the 10th pick, think again. Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo, Michael Beasley and Eric Gordon will be long gone by the time the Nets pick. But there will be several top-notch picks available. UCLA’s Kevin Love, DeAndre Jordan (Texas A&M) and Anthony Randolph (LSU) could all be available. With the Nets still struggling to find that primetime-post presence, any one of the aforementioned big men could suffice.
But there is a chance the Nets could trade the pick. With Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw available, anything can happen on draft day. With Kiki Vandeweghe now cemented as the Nets GM, the acquisition of Carmelo Anthony–who has had several run-ins with the law lately–has also been discussed. Nets President Rod Thorn has never been afraid to pull the trigger on a big deal (see both Jason Kidd trades and the Vince Carter deal). For the Nets to return to contender status, Thorn might need to pull another rabbit out of his hat.