NBA Trade: Who Came Out on Top Between the LA Lakers, NJ Nets and Rockets? | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Jessica Hardy
Published Mar 23, 2026
Give: Terrence Williams, Joe Smith
Get: Rocket's 2011 and 2012 (Lottery Protected) 1st Round Picks, Lakers 2011 1st Round Pick, Sasha Vujacic
At this juncture, it's safe to say that parting ways with Terrence Williams was an inevitability for the Nets. Williams tenure in New Jersey has been fairly rocky and it culminated in him being suspended and sent down to the D-League for disciplinary measures.
Williams was in Avery Johnson's dog house and the Little General appears to have a lot of pull with the Nets front-office, singling Williams out in this mess.
However, if Williams ever develops into the monstrous playmaker many believe he is capable of being, than it will come back and bite the Nets in the ass one day.
But more than anything else, the Nets showed with this move that they want Carmelo Anthony, and they want him badly.
New Jersey, apparently fearful that Anthony was slipping out of their grasp, decided to expand their war chest by loading up on draft picks.
For the 2011 NBA draft, the Nets now have their own first round pick along with the Rockets, Warriors and Lakers. The following year, they'll have their own plus the Rockets first-rounder.
With five first-round picks over the next two years, the Nets immediately become power players in the trade market. Whether or not those picks could be used to acquire Anthony from the Nuggets ultimately comes down to the Nets ability to convince Anthony to sign an extension with the team.
However, if the Nets miss out in the 'Melo sweepstakes, they'll still be in a great position to either stock up on prospects or find another trade partner to help them land a star player
The downside for the Nets is that they not only have to take on Sasha Vujacic, but his contract. He'll be paid $5.47 million this season, but luckily it's an expiring contract. Not to mention, Mikhail Prokhorov has deep coffers that are able to absorb that type of financial hit.
