So much for the circus-atmosphere general manager Billy King said the Nets would avoid this year. Can’t wait to see what happens when they open their first training as the Brooklyn Nets.

Their last camp as the New Jersey Nets began with reports that Dwight Howard would ask for a trade from Orlando and could be Newark-bound by Friday afternoon. Then reports said the Magic were considering filing tampering charges because members of the Nets organization, including owner Mikhail Prokhorov, had met with Howard.

King denied that was so. And the Nets were not close to acquiring Howard on Friday. But for the second straight year – which happens to be the second year of the Prokhorov-King-Avery Johnson era - the Nets were embroiled in drama before the basketballs hit the court for

Deron Williams is doing everything he can to put the Nets and their general manager Billy King at ease. But Williams also is letting King know he’s on the clock.

Williams met with beat reporters at a SoHo restaurant not long after he went on WFAN and declared, “My plan is to stay.” Williams said similar things to the writers after lunch.

His plan is to opt out after the season, but stay with the organization. He said he had a “strong feeling” that he would re-sign with the Nets next summer. But King has roughly eight months to turn a team that won 24 games last season into a championship contender.

The best way to leap tall buildings in a single bound is by acquiring Superman.

It’s not Dwight Howard or bust, but if King can make a deal with Orlando

After such a long lockout-generated layoff, it’s busy season in the NBA and the Nets should be among the busiest teams.

They have the money – up to about $24 million for free agency – the star point guard and some assets to at least be in the conversation to acquire Dwight Howard.

Negotiations for players and free agents should heat up over the weekend and early next week, building to the expected opening of camps Dec. 9. Here are some pressing issues concerning the Nets and their roster and one major issue that seems to be put to rest – for now.
 
 
D-Will Won’t
Deron Williams’ agent Jeff Schwartz said yesterday what many people were already thinking, including Nets execs: his client won’t sign an extension with the Nets and will become

The Nets were never worried about what would happen in the NBA Draft Lottery. They were never concerned Utah would get the first overall pick, just as they wouldn’t have been if they made the deal with Denver for Carmelo Anthony.

Billy King probably decided the day he took over as Nets general manager last July that getting an established All-Star and franchise-changing player is more vital to the organization’s growth than an unproven college player who may not develop for a few years.

He’s right, especially since there is no Derrick Rose, LeBron James or Blake Griffin in this draft. If you have the chance to get Anthony or Deron Williams you do whatever it takes and if it costs you a No. 1 pick in a draft that doesn’t have star power you make the trade. And you

Billy King’s season-ending session with the media Wednesday covered everything from his recent hand procedure to next week’s surgery to remove a calcium deposit in Brook Lopez’s right arm.

That’s not the only cutting expected to happen with the Nets this offseason.

To King, the Nets' general manager, the stated goal next year is to make the playoffs. It should be. The Nets have a superstar now, and having Deron Williams healthy is a great first step to that end. But there needs to be a roster overhaul to go from a 24-win team to one that sees the postseason.

There is no doubt overall that the Nets made strides from last season. They built a foundation for the future as they doubled their win total from a year ago. They probably should have had a few more wins,

The Nets ended the first season of the Mikhail Prokhorov/Avery Johnson/Billy King era with 24-58 record after a tough, hard-fought 97-92 loss to Chicago Bulls last night.

The Nets doubled last year’s win total but still have plenty of work to do to become not only a playoff team, but a championship contender as Prokhorov promised. The next phase of that process begins now, but here’s a look back at that first year.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Naturally, if Deron Williams would have been with the Nets all season, it would have been him. He proved that in his 12 games as a Net. But for the duration of the season, it was Kris Humphries. He did it all for the Nets in terms of defense, dirty work, physical play and rebounding and finished the season with career-high averages of 10.0

The last couple of weeks of this season have felt a little like last year. The Nets have been decimated by injuries and have lost 14 of 16 games heading into Wednesday's finale against the Bulls.

But this season has been different. The Nets have doubled their win total (24) and are in a better place than at this point last season.

First of all, the team didn’t have a clean-up day last year. The players left Miami after the finale and went their separate ways after one of the most dysfunctional and frustrating seasons in NBA history. Many of them didn’t fly back to New Jersey. They couldn’t wait to get rid of last season.

This season, everyone is flying back from Chicago, doing their exit interviews Thursday with general manager Billy King and coach Avery Johnson, and

NEWARK, N.J. – The Nets’ final game this season against the Knicks lacked so much of the appeal their prior one did. Three announcements made early Friday morning took the luster out of the game and turned the attention elsewhere.

The first and biggest one came from the Nets as they revealed All-Star point guard Deron Williams would need surgery to clean out fragments and scar tissue in his right wrist and his season was over. Then Avery Johnson said Kris Humphries wouldn’t play because of his right foot injury, and his season was over.

At around the same time in Westchester County, the Knicks ruled out Amar’e Stoudemire because of a sprained left ankle.

There still was Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups and Brook Lopez and a near full house at the Prudential Center,

Four games remain in the Nets’ season and for some players their Nets careers, but that’s a story for a different day. For today, it’s all about tomorrow. Of the Final Four, this is the game that matters most to the Nets.

We’re not saying they should take off their last three. The Nets should play every game the same. But there’s no denying Nets-Knicks IV has different significance, especially since New York has dominated the season series.

The Knicks have won the first three games - including last week's ESPN-televised game at the Garden - and are averaging 112 points in three victories. It doesn’t take a genius to know the Nets are going to have to play better defense if they’re going to get a game against the Knicks this season.

Defense: