Mikhail Prokhorov, owner of the Nets, sent the following letter to the USA Today.

'The players are signed, the "Decision" is made, but the passions around this year's extraordinary class of NBA free agents refuses to die down. What surprises me is the amount of negative commentary directed at the three top free agents (especially LeBron James) who decided to play on the same team and to create a great franchise together. Of course, any club owner dreams of having those players, including me, but all questions of how the announcements were made aside, I respect their choice, and no one has the right to judge them.

I want to say that I support LeBron, the best athlete in the NBA. He had a truly difficult choice to make. Any move he made was sure to be viewed as wrong, and to leave many unhappy fans. Basing his decision on achieving results on the basketball court shows that the sportsman won the day, not the showman or the businessman. What is wrong with that?

We are seeing the birth of a new, dynamic team with such star players, and all of us can await the new season with great anticipation. I wish them success and give them my moral support. I will be happy for us to beat the Miami Heat in the conference finals, maybe not this season, but in the very near future.'

The Nets appear to have the pieces needed to acquire Chris Paul from the Hornets, but it remains to be seen if a trade is in the future.

For now, New Orleans isn't interested in trading Paul and New Jersey may not be willing to part with players like rookie Derrick Favors.

However, that doesn't mean new Nets general manager Billy King isn't going to at least put out a feeler for Paul.

"I'm not going to comment on that other than to say we will do our due diligence as we normally would," King said.

The New Jersey Nets have named Bobby Marks as assistant general manager, General Manager Billy King announced today.  Marks was promoted from his previous position of vice president of basketball operations.

?Bobby has been a well-respected member of this department for an extended period of time,? said King.  ?He is very deserving of this promotion, and his expertise will be invaluable as we look to re-build the Nets into a championship-caliber team.?

The New Jersey Nets have named Sam Mitchell, Larry Krystkowiak, John Loyer, Popeye Jones and Tom Barrise as assistant coaches, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today.

?Avery has assembled a staff that brings a wealth of NBA experience to the sidelines,? said King.  ?Their collective knowledge of the game, gained from both playing and coaching in the league, will be an invaluable asset to the head coach as well as our players.?

Rod Thorn says he would have changed his mind and return as president and general manager of the Nets if they had been able to sign LeBron James.

"Just to watch," Thorn said.

Thorn conducted a 90-minute conversation with New Jersey beat writers during his final day on the job Friday.

"It's been a heck of a tour here, over these last 10 years," Thorn said. "I don't have much to say about the last two years. The first part of it, even the first year was a lot of fun. It's always hard to leave someplace, particularly someplace where you put some much into. They team is in very capable hands and the Nets have some good times ahead of them."

The New Jersey Nets have signed first round draft picks Derrick Favors and Damion James, Nets President Rod Thorn announced today.  

Favors (6?10?/246) was selected third overall in the 2010 NBA Draft.  He played one season at Georgia Tech and was named ACC Rookie of the Year.  The Atlanta, Georgia native averaged 12.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 36 games for the Yellow Jackets.  

James (6?7?/225) was selected 24th overall by Atlanta in the 2010 NBA Draft and later traded to New Jersey in exchange for the draft rights to Jordan Crawford and Tibor Pleiss.

The New Jersey Nets have named Billy King as the team?s new general manager, Nets Principal Owner Mikhail Prokhorov announced today.  King succeeds Rod Thorn, who is stepping down as the team?s president after 10 years at the helm.  As per club policy, terms of King?s contract were not released.

?I am very pleased Billy King is coming on board as Nets President,? said Prokhorov.  ?He has all of the qualities we've been looking for in a candidate:  professionalism, good relations with the league, players and agents, and strong communications skills.  He will be an excellent fit with Head Coach Avery Johnson. Most importantly, Billy is ambitious.  He wants to win.  This is what I felt when I met with him and why he will be a strong addition to the Nets organization."

"I am very excited about joining the Nets organization," said King. "I want to thank Mr. Prokhorov and his executive team for the opportunity to oversee a franchise that has such a vibrant owner, an outstanding coach in Avery Johnson, and possesses the combination of young talent, cap space and draft choices that will allow us to build a squad that will be able to contend for an NBA title."

David Aldridge of TNT is reporting that the Nets will name Billy King their new president during a new conference on Thursday.

King emerged as the frontrunner for the job after he met with New Jersey on Tuesday in New York.

Billy King has emerged as the leading candidate to become the next president of the Nets, according to league sources.

King met with New Jersey's management on Tuesday in New York and he has received a strong endorsement from outgoing executive Rod Thorn.

Danny Ferry also met with the Nets, but he returned home to Ohio without an offer.

Danny Ferry and Billy King have emerged as finalists for the president's job with the Nets, according to sources.

Ferry and King will interview with New Jersey on Tuesday.