The Nets will have to resort to Plan C or Plan D, if they have 'em! According to Nets Daily, "Mikhail Prokhorov, saying the negotiations had taken too long and had taken too much of a toll on his team, Wednesday, ended talks with the Denver Nuggets to acquire Carmelo Anthony. Saying his decision was final and that he was happy with the efforts of Billy King, the billionaire owner said the negotiations, which began in August, had cost the Nets games. Prokhorov said as well that he had permission from the Nuggets to talk to Anthony but no agreement on the final contours of the trade which would have been largest in NBA history, moving up to 16 players and $225 million in contracts." more ›

The Nets' season is quickly hitting the crapper with a six game losing streak, leaving them with a less-than-sterling 6-17 record. And while the mere fact that they exist may be enough to develop some fan base in Newark, it ain't gonna cut it once the team moves to Brooklyn in a few years. But you know what might get the fans in? Forget Carmelo Anthony—try free beer. more ›

Shaquille O'Neal chatted with NJ's Herald News about the Nets, whom the Celtics are playing tonight at the Prudential Center in Newark, and guess what, he has an opinion of the team moving to Brooklyn! Shaq said, "I would have liked to see the new owner get with the guy who built the arena and keep the Nets [in Newark]. I don't want to see the team go to Brooklyn. Maybe the two heads can get together, they can do that and I can come down there and become general manager." more ›

The NJ Nets had some lousy luck during the superstar sweepstakes earlier this summer, but good news comes to those who are patient. After rumors started heating up last month, several NBA sources are now saying that the Nets are on the verge of a four-team trade for superstar Carmelo Anthony, according to the Post. more ›

Looks like Jay-Z really wanted to impress Mikhail Prokhorov! MediaTakeOut reported, per an "extremely credible insider," that the rap mogul feels dissed by LeBron James during James' free agency sweepstakes, "Jay Z was supposed to be able to bring stars to [the New Jersey] Nets - or at least have access to them. [During the time that LeBron was making his decision] he didn't even take [Jay Z's] calls. It made [Jay Z] look like he couldn't deliver to the Nets management... If [Jay Z] would have landed a star player, he could have been seen as a legitimate asset to the team. Now they see him as just dead weight." more ›

We already know that some players would rather dip their head in a vat of acid than join the NJ Nets, but someone's gotta collect those millions of dollars! Today, the Nets announced that former 76ers GM Billy King will replace Rod Thorn as the Nets new GM in the Mikhail Prokhorov-era. "He has all of the qualities we've been looking for in a candidate: professionalism, good relations with the league, players and agents, and strong communications skills. He will be an excellent fit with head coach Avery Johnson. Most importantly, Billy is ambitious. He wants to win," said Prokhorov. more ›

Since the Nets, who had the worst record last season but now flaunt a Russian billionaire owner, seem to be out of the LeBron James sweepstakes, the Post looks at how the Nets failed to get their backup potential savior, Carlos Boozer, the power forward from the Jazz: "Boozer who, when the Nets visited Utah in January after their season was truly DOA, pretty much claimed he would rather dip his head in a vat of acid than consider New Jersey. Guess he felt the same now, though the vat was lined with nearly $80M." Boozer is now signed with the Bulls; he claims Chicago still has a chance at James. more ›

When July 1 comes, LeBron James will, officially, be pursued by numerous basketball teams hoping to land a "King." According to Yahoo Sports, his advisors plan to allow the "New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers make presentations," with NJ making the first one in Akron, Ohio. And New York will be heading to Ohio, too, since their fancy plans have been put on ice. more ›

After having breakfast with Mayor Bloomberg (and Jay-Z and Bruce Ratner) on Wednesday, Russian billionaire and Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov met the NYC media, joking, "America, I come in peace," demurring, "I don't want to put on the table all of my secrets," and challenging, "We are going to turn Knicks fans into Nets fans, it's that simple." more ›

Fine, the NBA uses the weighted draft lottery system to ensure that teams don't purposely lose toward the end of the season to ensure a higher draft pick. So the Nets, with a 12-70 record, had a 25% chance of getting the number one pick and a 21.5% chance of getting the number two pick...and ended up with the number three pick (they had a 17.73% chance for that). New owner Mikhail Prokhorov shrugged it off, saying, "I’m sure we’re going to get a great player." The Washington Wizards got the number one pick, sending D.C. sports press and fans into a frenzy. more ›

Tonight is the NBA's draft lottery, where teams learn what their pecking order will be in the actual draft, which is on June 24. Since the Nets had the worst record in the league—12-70—they have the best chance of getting the first pick (due to a weighted lottery system) and are guaranteed no lower than the fourth pick. And guess who's excited for the new season? The Nyets' new owner, Mikahil Prokhorov—at least, we think he's excited, though his video address to fans shows him to be, uh, pretty calm. But he's funny too, because he's expecting the team to make the playoffs next year, with a championship in one year minimum, five years max: more ›

The NBA's Board of Governors has approved Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov's purchase of the Brooklyn-bound NJ Nets. He becomes the first non-North American NBA owner, with 80 percent of the team and 45 percent of the Barclay Center under his control. In a statement released today, he oozed optimism about the future of last season's worst team in basketball: “For those who are already fans of the Nets and the NBA, I intend to give you plenty to cheer about.” more ›

New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. has said the Ways and Means Committee will look into would-be Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov's possible ties to Robert Mugabe, but he now wants Timothy Geithner to get involved too. He wrote a request to Geithner to look into one of Prokhorov's company's funding of a Zimbabwean economic summit, saying, "The government of Zimbabwe suppresses freedom of speech and assembly, and reportedly restricts access to food in opposition areas." Geithner seems to be one popular pen-pal today! Prokhorov's involvement in Zimbabwe could have violated U.S. sanctions on the country, and further slow Atlantic Yards development. more ›

Mikhail Prokhorov's plan to buy the New Jersey Nets may be put on hold as officials look into his possible Zimbabwean holdings. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. of the Ways and Mean Committee will look into whether Prokhorov's companies in Zimbabwe violate rules that forbid American citizens, companies, and subsidiaries from doing business with President Robert Mugabe, known for his frequent human rights violations. Pascrell told the Post, "Obviously, the Board of Governors of the NBA didn't do their job properly when they vetted this deal." more ›

Mikhail Prokhorov—the Russian billionaire poised to become the majority owner of the Nets and partial owner of the Brooklyn Barclays Center where they'll play— told 60 Minutes he's “real excited to take the worst team of the league and turn it to be the best.” The chiseled basketball fan was the subject of two in-depth profiles recently that offered a glimpse into the life of Russia's second richest citizen. He says it was New York that drew him to the Nets. “I love huge cities: the feeling of pace, of energy. Outside of my hometown, Moscow, New York is the place I feel most comfortable," he wrote in an email to the Times. more ›

So let’s get this right. If you're a Moscow mogul looking to buy the New Jersey Nets and move them to Brooklyn, you don’t have to do any of the legwork that comes with finding an apartment in the bustling borough? more ›

What better to follow up a meeting with a handful of NBA owners than a $19,000 lunch? That’s right, nothing, which is why Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, who is looking to purchase the floundering New Jersey Nets and bring then into Brooklyn, stopped into Nello on the Upper East Side Wednesday with a few friends, the Post reported. more ›

Days after the Post had one of their "sources" describe Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz as "angry and embarrassed" over the prospect of a Russian-owned Nyets team at the embattled Atlantic Yards site in Brooklyn, Marty's fired back. Far from being embarrassed, he's simply delighted: "Brooklyn is the Russian capital of America, so [Russian playboy Mikhail] Prokhorov will feel right at home here, and I have been assured he will put the interests of Brooklyn first." Plus, given those Russkies' historic knack for winning basketball games against all odds, maybe New York will finally get a b-ball team to be proud of again? more ›

On the heels of Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov's blog confirmation of rumors that he'll help finance the Bruce Ratner's embattled Nets stadium, Forest City Ratner has issued a statement detailing the "strategic partnership for the development of the Atlantic Yards Project." According to the press release, "entities to be formed by Prokhorov's Onexim Group will invest $200 million and make certain contingent funding commitments to acquire 45% of the arena project and 80% of the NBA team." The tentative $200 million deal would also involve Prokhorov taking on some of the team’s debts and reducing Ratner’s 23 percent stake. more ›