Gerald Wallace signed a $40 million contract with the Brooklyn Nets in 2012 and was traded less than a year later after their first round exit.

“(The Nets) have to point the finger at somebody like I was the guy to take the blame,” Wallace told the Daily News. “And that was the reason I was traded.”

Wallace struggled with injuries last season, averaging 7.7 points per game and shooting under 40 percent from the field.

“I felt like we were better than (the Bulls). I felt like that series wasn’t supposed to go the way it did. For the most part, I took blame for the season with the poor output I had last year,” said Wallace. “I think that was one of the main reasons I was traded.”

The Nets traded Wallace in a package that brought Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the team.

“I just felt like we needed a player like (Pierce), who had won a championship, who could score,” Billy King said. “I think putting him, Deron (Williams) and Joe (Johnson) on the perimeter makes us more potent offensively.”