The Nets will have the first meeting with free-agent LeBron James at Thursday midnight, which marks the very start of this summer's historic NBA free-agency period.

Mikhail D. Prokhorov, the team's new owner, will lead the Nets' group making its case to sign Jams.

The Nets are hoping to sign LeBron James, but they do have alternative plans.

They will meet Friday with Dwyane Wade and with Chris Bosh Bosh. They will then meet with Amar?e Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, David Lee and restricted free agent Rudy Gay. Dirk Nowitzki, a former player for Johnson, opted out of his Mavericks contract on Tuesday.

The Nets are confident they will at least be able to sign Stoudemire and Gay.

The Nets won't move to Brooklyn for at least another two years, but they are already working on converting fans of the Knicks.

New owner Mikhail Prokhorov said at his introductory news conference in May that he thinks he can "turn Knicks fans into Nets fans."

Prokhorov has purchased billboard space near Madison Square Garden. An image of the Russian billionaire and Nets minority owner Jay-Z will be displayed, with completion scheduled just before the start of free agency.

The 222-by-95-foot billboard sporting a Nets logo will picture Jay-Z and Prokhorov side-by-side under the heading, "The Blueprint For Greatness."

The billboard will be able to be seen from the Knicks' offices on the corner of 34th and 8th.

Larry Coon details just how much salary-cap space each of the teams have entering the free-agent market which officially opens at midnight on Thursday.

The following are best-case scenarios for each of the teams with the most projected cap room:

The Knicks could hold 2.06 max contracts.

The Nets could hold 2.00 max contracts.

The Bulls could hold 1.76 max contracts.

The Heat could hold 1.67 max contracts, even after the team signs its own free agent, Dwyane Wade, to a max contract.

The Clippers could hold 1.02 max contracts.

Waived by the Nets this week, Keyon Dooling is looking at signing with either the Magic or Heat.

Dooling played for Stan Van Gundy in Miami during the 2004-05 season. And he played for Van Gundy in Orlando during the 2007-08 season.

"I think there's a very realistic chance I could be back again with one of the Florida teams,'' Dooling told FanHouse by phone Tuesday. "Stan (Van Gundy) taught me more about basketball than anyone else in my career. It would be a smooth and easy transition to go back and play for him (in Orlando) again.''

The New Jersey Nets have acquired guard/forward Quinton Ross from the Washington Wizards in exchange for forward Yi Jianlian and cash considerations, Nets president Rod Thorn announced Tuesday.

Ross, a six-year veteran out of Southern Methodist University, played in 52 games last season for the Mavericks and Wizards, with averages of 1.8 points in 10.8 minutes per game.  

Jianlian, acquired by New Jersey on June 26, 2008, played in 113 games with the Nets over two seasons, averaging 10.2 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

On Tuesday, the Nets traded Yi Jianlian to the Wizards for Quinton Ross, creating additional room under the salary cap.

The Nets sent the Wizards cash in the deal.

This opens up $3 million more salary cap room, leaving the team about $30 million under the cap.

"This trade is a good opportunity to add a skilled 7-footer with significant NBA experience who was the sixth overall pick in the draft just three years ago," Ernie Grunfeld said in a statement. "Yi fits in very well with our ongoing plan of building towards the future with a core of young, talented players."

The Nets are close to moving Yi Jianlian to the Wizards, with cash, in exchange for Quinton Ross or one of Washington's draft picks.

The story was confirmed by three sources.

The Nets are making a bid to get about $30 million under the salary cap, nearing the ability to offer two maximum-salary contracts when free agency begins Thursday.

When Rod Thorn steps down from his position with the Nets, the franchise is expected to pursue Thunder GM Sam Presti.

Presti was a member of the Spurs front office until becoming GM of the Sonics in 2007.

Rod Thorn has confirmed that he will be leaving his position as president of the Nets.

The 69-year-old Thorn will handle the team's free-agency dealings through July 15 and then make his departure.

"It?s just time for me to go," Thorn said.  "You know when it?s time, and this is the time. That?s really just the bottom line. It?s just time for me."

Thorn has a prolific career resume that includes drafting Michael Jordan as the head of basketball operations in Chicago, as well as assembling a core of Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson in New Jersey, which for years was one of the most formidable trios in the league.  Thorn also served as deputy commissioner of the NBA.