Jason Collins, a 7-foot center out of Stanford, came to terms on a contract extension with the New Jersey Nets on Saturday, narrowly beating the October 31st deadline.

Collins turns just 26 on Dec. 2, and is entering his fourth NBA season. He averaged 5.9 points and 5.1 rebounds last season. In three seasons with the Nets, Collins has averaged 5.4 points and 4.5 rebounds.

"Something came up that I couldn't pass up," Collins said yesterday about the deal.

The Nets did not release contract details, but earlier in the week, Collins said he was pursuing a four-year extension worth $24 million.

Collins's signing was the Nets' latest move to regain a measure of stability after an off-season spate of cost-cutting moves. Since the team traded Kenyon Martin and Kerry Kittles over the summer, the Nets have signed small forward Richard Jefferson to a 6-year, $72 million extension; signed their team president, Rod Thorn, to a five-year contract extension; and locked up Collins for four more seasons.

Had Collins and the Nets been unable to come to an agreement by Sunday, they could not have negotiated again until after this season, and Collins could have become a restricted free agent.

While Alonzo Mourning enjoyed a successful comeback to the court Thursday, Jason Kidd could only ponder what might have been on the sidelines.  As he battles to be healthy enough to return to the hardwood, Kidd isn't even sure whether the Nets will remain his team or not.

"I'm just so happy for Zo. Everyone knows what he's been through," said Kidd. "I'm just trying to get healthy and help my team win. No matter if I'm here or not. If not, then it's to help that team win. Right now, my whole objective is to get healthy."

Obviously the offseason moves which saw teammates Kenyon Martin and Kerry Kittles depart cuts deep.  But as Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes does the extension to GM Rod Thorn and the signing of free agents Ron Mercer and Eric Williams indicate future stability?

"Most professional teams aren't stable. They change like the wind," Kidd said. "Doing those things have nothing to do with what happened this summer. That's just them hopefully to make the team better. My main goal is to get healthy, get back better than where I was because I played on one leg last year," Kidd said.

"With Zo or without Zo this team plays hard, works their butts off. It's a typical Net team."

The NBA GM's have voted and Atlanta Hawk Al Harrington is the one player they expect most to have a breakout season.

Now that he isn't on the Pacers' loaded roster, he will have the chance to really demonstrate his talents.

Brian Scalabrine of the New Jersey Nets is another player who received votes by the GM's and is a player who RealGM.com expects to have a truly breakout season.

The team which won two consecutive Eastern Conference Championships in 2002 and 2003 may be a distant memory, but it isn?t all doom and gloom in New Jersey.  Kenyon Martin and Kerry Kittles may be in new cities while Jason Kidd remains sidelined through injury as the new NBA season draws nearer, but finally fans of the Nets may have something to smile about.

All-Star Alonzo Mourning, sidelined long-term since 2000 with kidney problems, now appears healthy enough to return to the NBA hard court, and his return may happen sooner than what many of us were expecting.  According to Dave D?Alessandro of the Newark Star-Ledger it is conceivable that Mourning could be in uniform for the new look Nets as early as tomorrow night when New Jersey faces Philadelphia in their final exhibition game.

Even if Mourning doesn?t suit up tomorrow night Mourning has made it clear that after three full-contact practices he will not accept going onto the injured list to start the season.

"Why? Because I'm not injured," Mourning yesterday. "I feel like I'm ready and can physically contribute, regardless of what stage I'm at right now. Why put me on the injured list if I'm not injured? I won't be a happy person if I'm on the list."

"He's practiced three times now, with full contact, and he's participated in all the drills," Nets GM Thorn said. "It's been positive, so we'll see how it goes. But there's a possible chance he'll play that night, and we'll go from there."

"Yeah, he's a very active participant (in the decision)," coach Lawrence Frank added. "The bottom line is, if he can help us in any way, you want him active. If he can help us and he's ready mentally and physically, ready and willing to play, then you want a guy like that. His ability on the defense alone can impact a game. ?

"But I don't want to put undue burden or strain on his shoulders, because he's coming back from a kidney transplant. So we'll make a daily evaluation, and if he continues to make daily progress, it looks like it's going to be a very positive situation."

The kidney may not be a cause for concern if you listen to team mate Eric Williams, who says that Mourning doesn?t look like he has lost any of the talent which made him a force in the league

"He's still Zo," Williams said. "He's dunking the ball, being aggressive. I like the way he's running the court, and as time goes on, he's playing longer stints. Guys are going at him, and he's giving better than he gets. He's out there trying to block every shot, and sacrificing the body every chance he gets."

Mourning stressed that playing tomorrow night isn't as important as being ready to play next Wednesday, when his old friend, Shaquille O'Neal, comes to visit in the season opener.

"Like I've said, preseason games don't mean anything," he said. "What's important is next Wednesday. I want to play in that game. And I want to play in the game after that and the game after that."

The good news doesn?t stop there for the Nets, with Kidd anticipating getting the green light to begin floor drills this afternoon, when he is scheduled to visit his knee surgeon, David Altchek.

"We'll see what happens," Kidd said. "I don't know if he'll (Altchek) take a picture (X-ray) tomorrow, but hopefully it's good news and we'll push forward."

Asked how his left knee felt, the point guard replied, "I feel great. I've had some great workouts, and hopefully we can go to the next stage -- start running and stuff. We'll see."

Jacques Vaughn came into training camp this year knowing the point guard position was up for grabs, with Jason Kidd recovering from surgery.  His competition comes from Zoran Planinic and Travis Best and he appears to be leading.

"I call him one of those military guys ? always under control, always trying to set the defense up. You can always hear his voice out there. He's good in the leadership role," said forward Eric Williams, another new Net. "He's one of those throwback point guards that people like to play around. He puts his nose in it on defense, and the other way, you know he'll get us into the offense."

Coach Lawrence Frank, with his best poker face, swears he still is undetermined about his choice for his opening-night starting point guard. Planinic has served in that role for much of the preseason, but turnovers and lack of experience are worries. Vaughn lacks the flash, size and versatility of the 6-7 Planinic but counters with stability, consistency and experience.

"He's a little more vocal, a little more confident. He's been an All-American point guard since he was 16," Richard Jefferson said of Vaughn.

"I'm really beginning to understand the system. That just comes day-to-day and understanding my teammates, getting to know them on and off the court. That's all part of the process," said Vaughn, who admits the Nets' system is more complicated than most but noted one trait that made him feel supremely comfortable: unselfishness.

Jason Kidd has reportedly told some of his longtime friends that he'll never wear a Nets uniform again, but new Nets owner Bruce Ratner believes Jason Kidd is bluffing and he is prepared to call.

Another reason why Ratner might be accurate in his assessment is for the reason that few teams would be willing to take a chance on Kidd intil they see how he has recovered from surgery.

Former NBA forward Jayson Williams, who was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter in the shooting death of a limousine driver, worked out for the Cavaliers on Thursday at Gund Arena.

Williams is attempting a comeback after ending his nine-year career in 1999 with the New Jersey Nets. He was impressive and in great shape, accord ing to a source at the workout.

"He wants to play," coach Paul Silas said. "We worked him out a little bit, and he can still play. He can certainly help somebody."

Williams, now 36, was a solid rebounder during his playing days. He was selected as an All-Star during the 1997-98 season, when he averaged 13.6 rebounds a game. He finished his career averaging 7.3 points and 7.5 rebounds.

Two summers the Nets gambled that Kenyon Martin would not receive a maximum offer from any other club.

"In retrospect, I must admit, I did not think he would get a max-out contract in August of 2003. We offered him $66 million at that point, which was about 20 million less than a max-out deal. He was adamant that he wanted a max-out or he wasn't going to take anything," said Thorn, whose new multi-year extension, pegged at five years and more than $20 million, was announced yesterday. "Give him credit, he was right. Not one team, but two teams offered it to him."

Denver creatively structured its offer to handcuff the Nets by the luxury tax and did a wonderful selling job on Martin, who ultimately received a seven-year, $90 million contract he signed with the Nets before being traded. By the time the Nets had agreed to match, the "small window" to re-sign the power forward slammed shut. So now Thorn, 63, aims to return the Nets to the contender status they enjoyed the past three seasons.

As for Jason Kidd, one of his most pressing issues on the immediate Nets' horizon, Thorn was diplomatic. Thorn predicted Kidd would return to the court for basketball work by "the first of the month" but said a play-date is guesswork.

"He made it known to you guys that he would like to be with a team he considers to be a championship-type," Thorn said. "He realizes that in order to enhance his value, he needs to play and show people he can still be Jason Kidd. [If he asks to be traded] I'll tell him exactly what I tell any player: 'If we can make a deal that makes sense for us, then we'll look at it. If it doesn't make sense for us, then we don't do it.'"

Alonzo Mourning on Thursday went through his first full-contact practice with the New Jersey Nets since undergoing a kidney transplant surgery 10 months ago.

Mourning, 34, is attempting to be the second pro athlete to return from a kidney transplant. The first was former San Antonio Spurs swingman Sean Elliott, who played 71 games over two seasons after undergoing a transplant in 1999.

Until Thursday, Mourning had mixed occasional contact drills with strength-training, shooting and weightlifting.

"It is progress," Mourning said. "Every time I think about where I was and where I am today, I don't see too many transplant patients doing what I am doing now in less than a year whether it be kidney, heart, liver, any kind of transplant."

Mourning, who received the kidney from his cousin and underwent the surgery on Dec. 19, said he was winded after the practice. He wore a temporary kidney protective pad that he broke in himself.

The Nets scheduled a news conference for Thursday to announce a five-year contract extension for Rod Thorn, the team's chief executive. Thorn helped reshape the Nets from perennial losers to two-time N.B.A. finalists and winners of the Atlantic Division in each of the past three seasons.

This ensures that Thorn will be directing the organization when they become the Brooklyn Nets.