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Ted Carlson

Magic Net Vince

June 25, 2009 5:25pm CDT

The New Jersey Nets are planting the seeds for a huge summer of 2010. On Wednesday, they agreed to two separate deals with the Magic. The huge trade will send Vince Carter to Orlando in exchange for Rafer Alston, Tony Battie, and Courtney Lee. In the second swap, the Magic acquired forward Ryan Anderson in exchange for the team's trade exception.

For the Nets, the intention is clear. Carter is due to earn $16.3 million in 2009-10 and $17.3 million in 2001-11. He also holds a $18 million team option for 2011-12. Battie and Alston's contracts run only through the 2009-10 campaign. Lee, a rookie in 2008-09, carries a low price tag for 2009-10 and options for the next three seasons. According to the Newark Star-Ledger, the Nets will enter the summer of 2010 with only about $29 million on their books. Do you hear that, LeBron James? Dwyane Wade? Chris Bosh? Amare Stoudemire? Which two of you want to play together?

As for the 2009-10 season, the Nets could be painful to watch, and Lawrence Frank will want to stock up on Tums. Devin Harris and Brook Lopez are rising stars at their respective positions, but the Nets could be thin everywhere else. There will be room for multiple scorers to step up and help fantasy teams. The Nets hold the 11th pick in Thursday night's draft and will likely target someone (Terrence Williams?) who can fill up the hoop. If not, fantasy owners should start to look for sleepers on this roster. Lee or Chris Douglas-Roberts, for instance, could bump up to 15 or 17 points per night given the opportunity.

The Magic carry no illusions of competing for the long list of 2010 free agents. They made it to the NBA Finals earlier this month, and they have now countered the Cavaliers' acquisition of Shaquille O'Neal by reeling in Carter. On the negative side, this trade could signal that the Magic won't bring back free agent Hedo Turkoglu, who is expected to opt out of his contract in July. In 2009-10, the franchise will pay over $50 million to the trio of Carter, Rashard Lewis, and Dwight Howard.

Carter's fantasy value will remain largely unchanged, provided he basically slides into Turkoglu's minutes and role. If Turkoglu comes back to Orlando, then we could very well encounter a dangerous situation where there aren't enough possessions and shots to satisfy so many scorers. Fantasy owners beware.

Although there wasn't much doubt, Jameer Nelson's role is solidified with Alston no longer lurking in the background. Nelson was having a career-best season before injuring his shoulder in February, and his campaign included two three-pointers per contest. With Carter, Howard and Lewis commanding attention, Nelson should continue to see a lot of open shots in 2009-10 - much like the clear look Derek Fisher saw in Game 4 of the Finals.

The Magic also have Anderson, Mickael Pietrus, J.J. Redick, and Anthony Johnson (player option) under contract for next season. Marcin Gortat is a restricted free agent. They could still have a lot of work to do this summer to make sure they have enough depth to withstand the rigors of the regular season and an extended playoff run.

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