The phone is ringing in New Jersey. Ohm Youngmisuk of the New York Daily News reports that six teams have contacted the Nets about their first-round draft pick. There are some other teams that have inquired about some core players on the Nets roster. And there's a chance the Nets could trade their pick for another player.

Of course team president Rod Thorn could keep the pick and use it to select one of the 7 to 10 players they have targeted. "Right now I don't know what I am going to do," Thorn said yesterday.

Thorn, who said it is "50-50" that the Nets will trade the pick, has spent much of the last two nights at the Nets Champion Center with his staff going over their options. Thorn says if there isn't a player from his list available, he is 85% sure he would trade the pick for second-round picks. The Nets also have the 54th selection.

Trading down is appealing since second-round players ? unlike first rounders ? do not receive guaranteed contracts, which would allow Thorn to keep a roster spot open to sign a free agent this summer with his $4.5 million or $1million salary-cap exceptions. Thorn has 12 players under contract after picking up the one-year option on Brian Scalabrine but he is hoping to get the injured Jamie Feick's contract off the cap by appealing to the league for a medical exception.