It's not often that 15-29 teams are buyers at the NBA trade deadline, but the New Jersey Nets are a special case.
Looking to please Deron Williams by adding legitimate talent, the Nets are close to acquiring Gerald Wallace from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams and a first-round pick, Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday afternoon.
Williams has already stated his intention to opt out of his contract after this season, which will make him a free agent in the summer of 2012. After 'Plan A' didn't pan out (Dwight Howard), the Nets have moved on to looking for smaller pieces in hopes of building a roster formidable enough for Williams to stay with the organization after this season.
Wallace, who has a player option for $11.4 million next season in the final year of his contract, may not be the type of acquisition who makes Williams' decision to stay in New Jersey easy, but he's a step in the right direction.
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