If you listen to the New Jersey Nets then you might think that they lost Kenyon Martin thanks to the front loaded offer made by the Denver Nuggets writes Brad Parks, but according to Martin's agent it never had to be this way.

Brian Dyke said the Nets were given numerous opportunities to offer Martin a non-front-loaded contract and he would have happily signed and remained in New Jersey, but the offer never came because proposed owner Bruce Ratner would not allow the team to do so.

"The day we received the promise of a maximum contract from Atlanta, I called Rod and informed him of that offer," Dyke said. "We were very disappointed we didn't hear anything back from the Nets. The Nets knew fully well what Kenyon had been offered and they never made a counteroffer. If they had made a counteroffer at that time, Kenyon would still be a Net right now."

"We're not bitter about that," Dyke said. "There are no hard feelings. It was very obvious to us that Rod's hands were tied by Bruce Ratner."