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

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- As everyone in the NBA waits on Carmelo Anthony and the Nets, Nuggets, Bobcats and Jazz to decide whether this blockbuster will become a reality, training camp opened for New Jersey today.

Yes, Devin Harris was running the point and yes Derrick Favors was running the floor.

Will they still be around for the afternoon practice or both sessions remains to be seen, but they are the two main players the Nets are expected to move to get the high-scoring Anthony.

The deal could still break down because of all the teams, players, owners and egos involved. But if it does go through, there has been plenty of talk about whether the Nets would be giving up too much, but you have to give up something to get a top-tier player that immediately becomes the face of your franchise.

The Nets shot for the moon and hoped to land some of the biggest stars in free agency. But they came crashing down to earth with nothing to show for their lofty ambitions, bravado and bluster.

Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov and part-owner Jay-Z were supposed to be two of the biggest names in this chase, but their money, power and global vision couldn’t match what Micky Arison, Pat Riley and the Miami Heat were offering.

LeBron James, Chris Bosh or Dwyane Wade chose to be teammates in Miami. The long-rumored possibility became official when James made his announcement on Thursday night.

As South Beach gets even hotter, the Nets feel a chill. It’s downright freezing in Cleveland and Toronto, though. Those two cities lost their franchise’s best players. The Nets

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. –- The Nets went into the NBA Draft with free agency on their mind and a big part of whatever they did. They may have taken it to the extreme.

They got a James in Thursday night’s draft and a power forward who likens himself to Amar’e Stoudemire.

Next week the Nets hope they can get the real Stoudemire and the only James that anyone has been talking about in NBA circles for the last few years.

For now, the Nets are happy to say they drafted the super athletic Derrick Favors with the No. 3 pick. They think they have a future All-Star in the Georgia Tech power forward who turns 19 in three weeks.

They also think they made a good deal in sending the No. 27 and 31 picks to the Hawks for 6-foot-7 forward Damion James. That’s up for debate. But

NEW YORK – Mikhail Prokhorov said all the right things today, everything Nets fans wanted to hear, even some who are unhappy that his purchase of the team solidified the eventual move to Brooklyn.

Prokhorov was entertaining at his introductory brunch and press conference as the Nets' new owner. He displayed a strong sense of humor, but also exuded confidence about turning the Nets into the envy of the league. Jason Kidd would have loved playing for this guy.

Prokhorov is convinced he can put together a sales pitch to lure the top free agents to the Nets. He’s also convinced the Nets will raise the championship trophy at the earliest in Newark within the next two years and at the latest in Brooklyn within five years.

He also hinted that the most vilified Net last

Just imagine for a second if the Cavaliers hadn't played last night and LeBron James were home watching the Knicks and Nets on the dish. Why would he be watching that game, you ask? Remember: this is make believe.

James sees the Knicks go up 16 on the Nets in the first quarter. He probably automatically rules New Jersey out this summer. But if he continued watching, James would have changed his mind.

In all likelihood, James has probably ruled out both teams and will return to Cleveland. But if this were the King James Bowl, the winner in a landslide was the Nets. It's not only because they beat the Knicks by 20 points. It’s also because of the fight they displayed, the improvement you’re seeing from some of their players and the unity they are showing despite being 7-55.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The Nets said goodbye to LeBron James for the season Wednesday night, but they will see each other again. The team hopes during a recruiting visit and then at a lavish introductory press conference.

James was the player the Nets had in mind when they cleared all their cap space. And you have to believe they had at least an inkling that they had a shot at James.

Everyone knows James is close friends with Nets’ part-owner Jay-Z, who is expecting to have a bigger role in recruiting players. They say they don’t talk about the Nets. James said it again after he led the Cavaliers to a 111-92 win over Jay-Z’s team in his final game at the Meadowlands.

It would be tampering, of course. But do you believe they never had a conversation about the

Projecting where LeBron James is going to play next season is a fun game unless you’re a Cleveland Cavaliers’ fan or anyone involved in the organization. They keep seeing and reading how James is going to New York or Brooklyn via Newark.

James plays his final game in East Rutherford tomorrow, so we’re going to play the game again. It won’t be the last time we do it. That's for sure.

The popular opinion is the Cavaliers are the front runners, with the Knicks second, the Nets third and Miami a dark horse candidate for James, although basketball people question whether he and Dwyane Wade could play together since they both need the ball.

Plus James would be going to join Wade instead of them going somewhere together – for instance New York. If James left the

The trade deadline came and the Nets passed on doing anything, but they could feel the impact by what other teams did -– not this season, but this summer.

The first big move came last night when the Cavaliers acquired former All-Star forward Antawn Jamison. That transaction served multiple purposes: Jamison could help the Cavaliers’ championship dreams and may be the piece that keeps the Nets’ top target, LeBron James, in Cleveland.

Jamison isn’t a dominant player like Amar’e Stoudemire, for whom the Cavaliers were also in talks. But Jamison is a good complement to James. Jamison plays on the perimeter and will bury teams if they double James and Shaquille O’Neal. Add a healthy Mo Williams and the Cavaliers are in great shape now and in the future.