HoopsHype.com Rumors

New Jersey is engaged in serious discussions with the Portland Trail Blazers on a deal to bring Gerald Wallace to the Nets, according to sources with knowledge of the talks. The deal as currently constituted, sources say, would send the expiring contract of Nets forward Mehmet Okur and either Shawne Williams or Johan Petro -- along with a protected future first-round pick -- to the Blazers for Wallace. ESPN.com

Brooklyn Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, Trade, Gerald Wallace, Shawne Williams, Johan Petro, Mehmet Okur 

Sources tell HOOPSWORLD that the Utah Jazz and New Jersey Nets have discussed deal that would swap Miles for pieces like Anthony Morrow and Johan Petro. The Nets would like to trim off as much salary as possible for the offseason, when they hope to attain the services of center Dwight Howard. Miles has an expiring deal while both Morrow and Petro have another at a combined $7.5 million. HoopsWorld

Minnesota Timberwolves, Brooklyn Nets, Utah Jazz, Trade, Anthony Morrow, Johan Petro, CJ Miles 

I hear Jordan Farmar and Johan Petro would come to Charlotte. Would the Bobcats do that and lower their salary-cap flexibility? Hard to say. Charlotte Observer

Charlotte Bobcats, Brooklyn Nets, Trade, Jordan Farmar, Johan Petro, Boris Diaw 

Chris Tomasson: Johan Petro on being in Olympics for France "I want to play. I made it clear throughout this whole year (to French officials) I want to play Twitter

Johan Petro, France 

Johan Petro, who played for the Nuggets before coming to the Nets, claimed the altitude troubles in Denver are no myth. “Of course it’s real,” Petro said. “When I got traded, my first practice my nose started bleeding. You have to get used to it. Go hard the first five minutes and hopefully it will go away.” New York Post

Denver Nuggets, Johan Petro 

Here’s a fun anecdote to distract you from the D-12 and CP3 neverending circus, if only for 220 words: Johan Petro had a car so old and embarrassing, he could no longer see himself driving it to Target. So the Nets center did what any other self-conscious Target shopper would do: Pimped his ride. (Read all about the transformation on Petro’s blog). New York Daily News

Johan Petro 

Center Johan Petro was contemplating a return to his old French team, Pau, but returned to the U.S. to train and “is not motivated to play (in France),” the club’s president, Didier Gadou, said earlier this month. New York Daily News

Johan Petro, Lockout, France 

Emiliano Carchia: French NBA center Johan Petro is willing to invest some money to help Hyeres-Toulon in big financial difficulties, as per Var Matin Twitter

Denver Nuggets, Johan Petro, France 

Johan Petro: Yes, I want to help provide disaster relief and support for Japanese children. A massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake has hit Japan, triggering a deadly tsunami. Japanese media report that the death toll is rising and thousands are missing. It is the worst earthquake to hit Japan in at least a century and has sparked dozens of fires, including in more than 30 buildings in Tokyo and an oil refinery near the city. Save The Children

New Jersey Nets, Johan Petro, Japan 

In the likely case of a work stoppage, many NBA players—including Lakers guard Kobe Bryant—have said they would consider playing overseas. "If we have the option to go somewhere else to do what we love to do, why not?" Nets center and native Parisian Johan Petro told HOOPSWORLD. "I thought about it. I know other guys have. "I was thinking about it," he continued. "I was talking to my French teammates. Obviously, guys won't go over at first. We keep [the option] there, maybe, in the back of our heads if [NBA labor negotiations take] too long." HoopsWorld

New Jersey Nets, Free Agency, Johan Petro, Lockout, Europe 

Of course, there are issues with playing overseas. Petro said it might be hard getting European clubs to allow players to return to the NBA without penalty—especially if the Americans are leaving their European teammates behind in the midst of the season. "The hard thing will be being over there, then things start up again over here [in the NBA] and then you have to tell your teammates over there, 'I have to go back. I have to be back here," Petro said. Then there are the players' commitments to the NBA. Lakers fans wouldn't be happy if Bryant injured himself playing in Milan. "It's a good idea," Knicks center Timofey Mozgov said of playing in Europe, "but you have to think about things like injury." HoopsWorld

New Jersey Nets, Free Agency, Johan Petro, Lockout, Europe 

Another danger of playing overseas is foreign markets. Teams often offer big contracts only to disappoint players on payday. The key, players say, is ending up with the right team in the right league. "Spain should be the top," Petro said. "Spain, Italy, Russia. I mean those are the team's that can afford it. Even if a country is bad, it still has one or two top teams. "I don't think it's about the teams," he continued. "It's about where, like, what country to go to to make sure you get paid. That's something to think about." HoopsWorld

New Jersey Nets, Free Agency, Johan Petro, Lockout, Spain, Europe 

Then there's the opposing argument that says NBA players owe it to their teams to stay in shape in case a deal is reached. Nobody wants the league to reconvene in December with significantly heavier players. "There's no better way to stay in shape than to play—play the game," said Petro, who would openly recruit NBA teammates to go with him. "So, I think it would be great [to bring teammates over in the event of a work stoppage]." HoopsWorld

New Jersey Nets, Free Agency, Johan Petro, Lockout, Europe 

Adrian Wojnarowski: The Nets are calling teams trying to help Detroit find a landing place for Johan Petro, front office executives say. Twitter

Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets, Trade, Carmelo Anthony, Johan Petro 

The Johan Petro contract will work out $3.25M for the first two years and $3.5 for the third. The Jordan Farmar deal escalates – from $3.75M to $4.0M to $4.25M. So that means the four new guys will make $18M combined this season. The eight others will make $24,597,425, with Derrick Favors budgeted at $4.133M and Damion James at $1.156M. Newark Star-Ledger

New Jersey Nets, Free Agency, Derrick Favors, Johan Petro 

Seven-footer Johan Petro has reached agreement with the New Jersey Nets on a three-year, $10 million contract, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. Yahoo! Sports

New Jersey Nets, Free Agency, Johan Petro