Gerald Wallace Will Forever Be a Reminder of New Jersey Nets' Shortcomings

Adrian Wojanarowski of Yahoo Sports reported that the Blazers and Nets have "agreed" in principle to a deal that sends Blazers forward Gerald Wallace to New Jersey for Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams and a protected first-round draft pick.

This deal most certainly won’t be enough to bring the Nets into contention this season, nor convince Deron Williams to re-sign with the team.

New Jersey tried to find someone to pair alongside Williams, but ultimately came up short in their hunt for a second star. Wallace is a solid talent, and the Nets did not give up too much to acquire him, but he is not the difference maker that New Jersey sought to transform the team into an instant contender.

Making the move last season for Williams at the deadline was a gamble, with New Jersey sending their top pick in the 2010 draft Derrick Favors, former All-Star point guard Devin Harris and two first round draft picks to Utah in exchange for D-Will. It was an interesting move by Nets GM Billy King, and unfortunately, it appears that it will not work out.

The goal was to attract another superstar to play alongside Williams, with the Nets aggressively pursuing Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard for much of the season. However, the Nets were shafted on the eve of the trade deadline, with Howard signing off on his ETO March 15.

Williams can opt out of the last year of his contract, making the Nets superstar a free agent in June. With little talent surrounding him in New Jersey, Williams' departure seems imminent.

If so, King will have to start over from square one again. The Nets already have a depleted roster with Williams, and will likely be amongst the NBA’s cellar without him.

The departure of Williams would give the Nets significant cap room, and King could consider diving into free agency next season to bring the Nets to some relevancy. Impending free agent point guards such as Raymond Felton or D.J. Augustin would likely be on their radar. Pairing one of those them alongside center Brook Lopez and Wallace could give the Nets some hope in Brooklyn.

Still, the Nets must be frustrated with the situation. Howard and Williams would have instantly put the team into the championship conversation and would have assisted the franchise in capturing some of the New York spotlight.

New Jersey will now have to make another ploy at bringing a successful basketball franchise to Brooklyn. A Howard-Williams duo would have been a delight to fans, but now it appears that the tandem will be strictly reserved for the All-Star game.