The Nets’ past and future converged Wednesday on Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues where retired forward Albert King reminisced about growing up in Brooklyn and GM Billy King talked about what moving here will mean for the franchise.

But the more immediate future remains very much on the Nets’ minds.

They can’t do anything because of the lockout, but the Nets have plenty of work ahead of them in New Jersey before they get to Brooklyn.

The Barclays Center is set to open for the start of the 2012-13 season and the only way to make sure Deron Williams is there is by getting the players that will keep the All-Star point guard.

Naturally, none of this was said when Billy King and assistant general manager Bobby Marks gave beat writers a tour of the arena construction site.

After the Nets brought in draft pickups MarShon Brooks, Jordan Williams and Bogan Bogdanovic to meet the local media Monday, they promptly sent the ones that will be with them next season to California to work out.

This made perfect sense because of the labor situation. If there is a lockout -- as expected -- starting Friday there can be no contact between the players and the teams.

So Brooks and Williams flew to meet coach Avery Johnson and general manager Billy King at P3 in Santa Barbara for some training until they can’t talk to him anymore.

Brooks and Williams were given what the Nets want them to do this summer, what workouts, what things they need to improve on –- basically everything they should do to make sure they’re ready when the work stoppage ends and/or

On Russian Culture Night, Mikhail Prokhorov came to Newark and emphatically said, “Nyet” to the Denver Nuggets.

The Nets principal owner stunned members of his organization and the media when he announced before last night’s 103-95 victory over the Jazz that he instructed management to back out of talks for Carmelo Anthony.

This made the giant “Blueprint for Greatness” mural across from Madison Square Garden seem like a paint-by-numbers piece you frame and put in your child’s bedroom. This was Prokhorov showing he has had enough of reading and hearing about all the different things that were going on in the Anthony talks. This was a statement.

“I am not happy with the way the deal has gone until now,” he said. “It has taken too long.

He was a day late, but Nets coach Avery Johnson had a list that he probably checked twice and then let his players know who’s been naughty and nice.

Johnson addressed each player individually in front of the whole team before Sunday's practice and told him what he's doing well and what needs improvement.

We weren’t there, so we can’t tell you what was said, but we all probably can guess because the Nets have no perfect players and no All-Stars.

Things such as better shot selection, taking care of the ball, being more of a presence on the boards, boxing out, finishing better, finding the best shot and not dribbling or holding on to the ball too much probably came up. But Johnson said it was more positive than negative, especially coming off of the Nets’ last five

The losses just keep on piling up for the Nets, but they have to be considered a winner in the trade that will be announced Wednesday.

Long before the Nets lost their eighth straight game and perhaps shooting guard Anthony Morrow to a hamstring injury, they agreed on a three-team deal that brings them more assets and flexibility and they hope eventually Carmelo Anthony.

That’s getting way ahead, but Anthony factored in the Nets’ thinking when they made this deal.

Terrence Williams will be traded Wednesday to the Rockets for a protected first-round pick, and Joe Smith will go to the Lakers for shooter Sasha Vujacic and another first-round pick.

They will also save money when Vujacic’s deal expires next year, and Williams is signed through 2011-12. When it’s

The Nets have two things to do over the next five days: work on getting this team ready for the Oct. 27 opener and try to put the finishing touches on a trade for Carmelo Anthony.

Neither will be easy for coach Avery Johnson or the Nets’ management team of Billy King and Bobby Marks. But after a 12-70 season and an entire overhaul of the roster and front office, you can’t expect anything to be smooth.

The Nets are in contact with the Nuggets, trying to get something done and feel they are in good position, despite Anthony’s first choice being to play for the Knicks. Unless a dark horse candidate emerges, it’s between the Nets and Knicks. First and foremost, everyone is waiting on the Denver Nuggets to decide what they will do.

In the meantime, the preseason is