The NBA trade deadline has passed, but there is one more trade to report, one that is near and dear to my heart.

The New Jersey Nets have traded in the keys to the IZOD Center to play in the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. This news was originally brought up by The Basher a few months ago, but at that point it was mostly hearsay and hopeful aspirations that they would stay there instead of moving to Brooklyn.

Well, Basher, I think we finally have our new home – at least for two years.        

The Nets have reached a deal with the IZOD Center to pay a $4 million penalty over two years to get out of their lease in the Meadowlands, a place they’ve played in since 1981. This allows the team to call the Prudential Center their home for the next two years, before they move to Brooklyn for the 2012-13 season.

For those of you who don’t know, I am a Nets season ticket holder and boy was this just an awful year for me. I spent a whole lot of money for these tickets and parking, but a 5-49 record through 54 games isn’t the record I was hoping for. Having season tickets is draining on such a bad team because it really can feel like a chore to get up and drive 45 minutes to the game to see them lose. Just ask any of the other members of the NBAtoday.net staff, haha.

After about 25 games I announced that there was no way I was going to get season tickets again because of the things that I mentioned above.

Until now?

The move to Newark makes traveling to the arena a million times easier. It’s more central than the IZOD, so it’s faster to drive. But why drive? NJ Transit trains arrive less than a block from the arena. So that 45 minute drive turns into a 10 minute drive to the train station. Not to mention, the IZOD Center sucks. Period. It’s an awful, awful arena in every manner. So could I be renewing my season tickets for next year?

JB has been all over the Nets moving to Newark and has often brought up the proposition of splitting season tickets in such a case. Well, JB – what’s the deal now?

And Basher – what’s good for next season. I know how much you love ‘The Rock’.

Hey Ref – I know you were hoping for this move. What are you thinking?

Duts man – How close are you to a train station? I know you’re interested.

And G, your secret is safe with me, but you can see a lot more Nets games now. Eh?

As I wait for their response to my call outs, I’ll leave you with a little insider experience of my message from Nets CEO Brett Yormark. I got this message earlier today in announcing the move to Newark and I was kind of disappointed that it didn’t come from Jay-Z (who I still haven’t seen at a game this year yet…

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Dear Shooter,

Our planned interim relocation to the Prudential Center in Newark represents one of the many positive steps to take place for Nets Basketball during the next few months. This temporary move not only gives our fans a state-of-the-art arena with the first-class amenities common in most NBA buildings, but also provides our players with a great atmosphere in which to play. Additionally, before we make our permanent move to Brooklyn, this interim relocation to Newark enables us to continue our goal to further regionalize the team, not only in Essex and Union Counties, but also in New York City due to the direct mass transit access available between Manhattan and the Prudential Center. We are confident that the NBA family will see this as a positive move, as we do. We look forward to being part of the community in Newark and will continue our extensive community outreach in the area.

I would like to sincerely thank Governor Christie for his support and leadership in making our interim relocation to the Prudential Center a reality. I would also like to express my appreciation to Mayor Booker and Jeff Vanderbeek for their steadfast efforts throughout this process.

*Nets Basketball ticket relocation information will be sent to all current ticket holders in the coming weeks.*

Sincerely,

Brett Yormark
President & CEO
Nets Basketball