Fred Kerber of the New York Post reports that at least one expert is picking the New Jersey Nets to win the East. Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics likes the moves made by the Nets this summer and believes they can repeat as Eastern Conference Champions.

"The Nets made changes and it's all about chemistry but with their trades I believe they definitely got better. On paper they will be the team to beat [in the East]," said Pierce, who helped lead the Celtics to the Eastern Finals, where they lost in six games to the Nets.

"They're the Eastern Conference champs. They've gotten better. They upgraded from a year ago. They basically traded Keith Van Horn for Rodney Rogers and Todd MacCulloch for Dikembe Mutombo. Both of them are better players. So they definitely should be the favorites going into the season."

Pierce wasn?t nearly as confident in his own club. After losing Rodney Rogers to the Nets and Trading Kenny Anderson for Vin Baker, Pierce wonders about the team chemistry. "We have to wait and see," Pierce said. "You have to find out how the chemistry is going to work and how our players are going to get along. I thought we had something special last year. Maybe we should have come back with the same team but obviously we had to get better. We weren't quite there. Hopefully this change will make us better."

The Associated Press reports: The New Jersey Nets and New Jersey Devils could be in line for a $355 million arena as a result of funding from an expected new lease for Newark airport.

The NBA's Nets and the Devils of the NHL play in the Meadowlands Continental Arena in Bergen County and have threatened to move out if a new facility is not built in time for the start of the 2005 season.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is expected to give the airport lease the go-ahead on Thursday, Newark business administrator Richard Monteilh said on Monday.

Under the deal, which was approved by Newark City Council on Friday, the city will receive an upfront sum of $100 million and a minimum yearly payment of $65 million.

Newark will get another $165 million from the Port Authority to settle a long-standing lawsuit over the calculation of the airport's net profits.

The settlement money has been earmarked for "economic development" and will contribute towards construction of the new arena.

The YankeeNets, owner of the two teams, would also put up $125 million, with Essex County adding another $50 million.

Proposals for a Newark arena have failed several times in the past as politicians put a stop to plans that tacked on funds for other projects across the state.

Alan Hahn of Newsday reports that the New Jersey Nets may be on the move. The city of Newark, NJ is running out of time to come up with a proposal for a new arena deal for the Nets and NHL?s Devils. Because of this, Charles Wang, who is part owner of the NHL?;s New York Islanders, has emerged as a candidate to buy the Nets.

A spokesman for Wang and Islanders co-owner Sanjay Kumar would not confirm nor deny the report and issued a statement that said the ownership group "will explore all opportunities presented to us." However, one New Jersey area businessman not only confirmed Wang's interest in buying the Nets, but said he is also interested in bringing an NBA franchise to Long Island.

Purchasing the Nets would enable Wang, chairman of Islandia-based Computer Associates International, Inc., to join the team with the Islanders and his arena football club, the Dragons, and make a powerful case for a new arena to replace the aging Nassau Coliseum.

Since buying the Islanders for $190 million in April 2000, Wang has looked into purchasing two NBA teams, the Vancouver Grizzlies and Charlotte Hornets, but did not follow through in either case. It is believed the NBA would rather not have three teams in the New York metropolitan area.

The Associated Press reports that the New Jersey Nets have exercised the team option on Kenyon Martin?s contract. In doing so, he will remain in New Jersey for the next two seasons.

Martin, a 6-foot-9 forward, was the Nets' leading scorer and played a key role in leading the Eastern Conference champions to their best NBA season ever. New Jersey had until Oct. 31 to exercise its option on Martin's contract but didn't need the time. "He is a vital component of our team," Nets president and general manager Rod Thorn said.

The Associated Press reports: Free agent Rodney Rogers signed a three-year, $9 million contract with the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday in a move that will put him on the court with former teammates Jason Kidd and Dikembe Mutombo.

Rogers, who is entering his 10th season, can opt out of his new deal after the first two years.

"He will fit perfectly," Thorn said. "This gives us the outside threat we lost when we traded Van Horn. It gives us the toughness he has always shown on the court throughout his career."

Rogers hinted that other teams offered him more money but he felt the Eastern Conference champion Nets offered him more in other ways.

"Jason Kidd is one of the best point guards in the league, and there is just no harder worker," Rogers said. "I talked to Dikembe and he said, 'Come on Rodney, come here and try to be part of a championship.' "

With Richard Jefferson taking over at the small forward and Kenyon Martin moving to the power forward, Rogers will back up both positions. He also can play center.

"This team will be a lot better with Mutombo, me and Childs," Rogers said. "You have guys who want to win and who play hard on the floor. I think we give us the firepower we need and the defensive presence where we need to be tough at."

Marc Berman reports that, according to sources, Rodney Rogers has agreed to terms with the Nets.

Nets GM Rod Thorn has been working out details of a three-year, $9 million deal for Rogers. The former Celtics forward flew into Newark last night to take a physical that would finalize the deal. The Nets plan to announce the signing today.

After acquiring Dikembe Mutombo to solidify the defense, and promoting Richard Jefferson to a starting role Thorn had been hunting for an outside-shooting forward to come off the bench. Rogers, a key ingredient in the Celtics' march to the Eastern Conference Finals after being traded from Phoenix in midseason, fit the bill perfectly.

Rogers former teammates Jason Kidd and Dikembe Mutombo were instrumental in convincing Rogers to sign for less with the Nets. The most Thorn could offer Rogers was a contract starting at $2.9 million, since the league's reigning executive of the year had used the rest of his mid-level exception to sign backup point guard Chris Childs. It's believed that Minnesota offered a four-year contract paying between $3.1 million and $3.3 million.

"He wanted the opportunity to compete for an NBA championship," said Rogers' agent, James Williams. "With the moves they've made, he thinks the Nets can give the Lakers a run for their money. He brings to the table an ability to play the 3-4-5 positions. Jason knows Rodney will go to war with him."

Mitch Lawrence of the Daily News reports that Rodney Rogers is finally getting close to signing. After being priced out of the Celtics budget, it appears as if Rogers is choosing between New Jersey and Minnesota.

With a decision coming as soon as today, Rogers can sign with Minnesota, starting at $4.7 million this coming season, if he decides to play with Kevin Garnett. Or, he can join the defending Eastern Conference champs, and his old Phoenix teammate, Jason Kidd, but starting at no more than $2.8 million. The nine-year veteran is also being pursued by Seattle and Philadelphia, but, like the Nets, those teams can't match Minnesota's offer.

"No, we don't have a deal," said Nets president Rod Thorn yesterday, shooting down reports that Rogers was Meadowlands-bound. "But we're actively pursuing a shooter, and we could use someone like (Rogers)."

Because they've offered Rogers the entire $4.7million mid-level exception, the Timberwolves are seen as the favorites. Rogers' agent, James Williams, recently told several teams that he wants at least something close to the mid-level for his client. After signing Chris Childs, the Nets have only a portion of that left. Which is perhaps the reason Thorn acknowledged, "I've got several irons in the fire for a shooter."

Peter May writes that the Nets may have improved themselves with last weeks? trade to acquire Dikembe Mutombo, but the trade ?will not, in any way, shape, or form, give them the body they need to compete against Shaquille O'Neal. Even the Nets understand that.?

''Oh no, no, no,'' agreed Nets general manager Rod Thorn. ''No one can stop Shaq.''

In 1991, the Sixers figured they needed an inside presence to get to the Finals. Mutombo was that presence. They also wanted someone who could contend with Shaq in the Finals. Mutombo could not contend.

In the five-game NBA Finals of 2001, Shaq averaged 33 points, 15.8 rebounds, and 3.4 blocked shots. May adds, ?Yup, Mutombo really slowed down The Big Diesel. Hey, it's not Mutombo's fault. You never heard him say he could play with Shaq. But you now hear (or read) others say it, and it's nonsense.?

Marc Berman of the New York post reports that ?Superagent?, David Falk would have liked to see the Knicks trade for Dikembe Mutombo. While he admits that Mutombo will be a good fir in New Jersey, Falk is baffled that Knicks GM Scott Layden didn't pull the trigger to obtain the center he's pursued since he traded Patrick Ewing two years ago.

The Post reported Wednesday the Knicks and Sixers engaged in trade talks about Mutombo, but Philly wasn't interested in Latrell Sprewell or Allan Houston, wanting a center in return. A league source confirmed yesterday's published report that the Sixers and Knicks had been close to a deal that collapsed because Layden wouldn't part with Kurt Thomas.

Last Friday, the source said, a trade was proposed in which the Knicks gained Mutombo and gave up Thomas, Charlie Ward and Travis Knight. On Monday, Layden called the Sixers, backing out of the deal. That's when the Sixers called the Nets. Sixers GM Billy King, asked about the crashed deal, said "I'm not going down that road."

Layden wouldn't comment either, but the club disputed the contention that a serious offer had been on the table. Evidently, Layden was leery of Mutombo's age and the fact that, in two years, the Knicks could have been saddled with four players - Sprewell, Houston, McDyess and Mutombo - signed to maximum contracts, further reducing his flexibility.

"It would've been interesting if Dikembe went back to New York now that they have McDyess because they played together in Denver," Falk said. "It would've been a helluva frontline. I guess there was a deal on the table - for whatever reason it wasn't consummated. I know Scott loves Dikembe."

After the big trade yesterday, Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News writes that the Sixers acquired one player who had once stubbornly refused to come to Philadelphia and re-acquired another player who never wanted to leave. But to add forward Keith Van Horn and center Todd MacCulloch, the price was steep: They gave up center Dikembe Mutombo.

Philadelphia wanted to improve offensively and were also able to purge a contract that pays the 36-year old Mutombo over $53 million over the next three seasons. The Nets felt the need for a defensive anchor after being shredded by the Lakers? Shaquille O?Neal in the Finals.

Whether either team got exactly what it wanted remains to be seen. At first glance, the Sixers got Van Horn as a projected starting small forward, capable of scoring from the perimeter and contributing on the glass and the sure-handed, steady, stable MacCulloch as a starting center replacement for Mutombo.

"You read what [Iverson] said, that we needed two guys to score with him," Brown said. "Now, is he going to be willing to take 20 shots instead of 30? If he does that, there are going to be a lot of shots around for other people that have the potential to score the ball. We have a point guard [Eric Snow] who does a good job getting other people the ball. It's going to only help Allen to have somebody else you can get the ball to in crucial situations."

Ohm Youngmisuk of the New York Daily News reports that the Nets wanted an all-star big man to play with Jason Kidd. In acquiring Mutombo, they get one of the best defensive centers in the game. With Kidd set to become a free agent after the upcoming season, the Nets made a move with an eye on winning now in hopes of keeping the franchise point guard around for years to come.

?Our feeling is that with the addition of Mutombo we have the potential to be one of the best defensive teams in the NBA," said Nets president Rod Thorn. "A dominating type defender in the middle ... historically that is what you need to scale the heights. From our perspective we feel that Mutombo will be able to do that for us."

The Nets gave up two talented players in Keith Van Horn and Todd MacCulloch, but the Addition of Mutombo makes MacCulloch expendable. The emergence of Richard Jefferson will soften the blow of losing Van Horn.

"This was pretty much a no-brainer," Nets coach Byron Scott said.