The Los Angeles Clippers recently played the Portland Trailblazers in Seattle. While it's hundreds of miles away from either team's home court, the crowd showed that they loved basketball and wanted their hometown team back. Perhaps this will be the impetus the NBA needs to bring another team to the state.
Although the NBA has not relocated to the state since 1999, there are many possibilities. The YankeeNets own two teams, the New Jersey Nets and the New Jersey Devils, and they could potentially be considered for relocation in the future. The team could also be relocated to Newark.
The Nets moved to New Jersey for the 1977-78 season. They stayed in New Jersey for 35 years, before finally relocating to Brooklyn in 2012-13. After moving to New Jersey, the team was able to attract superstar forward Julius Erving, which helped the franchise achieve a 25-win season in its first season in the Big Apple. The Nets won their second ABA championship in 1975-76. But after selling their star player to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Nets had five losing seasons. They only made the playoffs in 1979 with a 37-45 record.
The Nets have made a comeback in recent years. In the early 2000s, Jason Kidd, Kenyon Martin, and Antoine Walker led the team. However, these players were largely forgettable. The Boston Celtics were trash-talking the Nets in the Eastern Conference Finals. They called Martin a "fake" tough guy. In the same year, Celtic fans were chanting "wife beater" at the Kidd family. The Nets' fans responded by holding signs to Pierce and Kidd.
While the Garden State is not a traditional NBA market, it does have a rich basketball history. There are NBA-caliber players in the state, including Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. But despite the high-profile players, the state's NBA team has failed to attract an impressive fan base. However, that might change as the state's boys' basketball team produces rising stars.
Another major reason the state is a contender for a new team is the proximity of New York City and Philadelphia. The two cities share a metro area, and many people living in the state spend a lot of their time in one of them. Having a team in the middle of both cities would give New Jersey a unique identity.
The state's high talent level and recent relaxation of sponsorship rules have made it possible for local players to land lucrative endorsement deals. Cadeau, who is dual-national and plays for the Swedish national team, is now being represented by Roc Nation with a five-figure name, image, and likeness deal. Cunningham, meanwhile, recently signed with the Overtime Elite team without taking a salary, allowing him to keep his collegiate eligibility.
Despite the rocky start in the early 1990s, the Brooklyn Nets returned to the playoffs for the next four seasons. However, their level of play began to decline after that. In 2009-10, they had the worst record of their history, going 12-70.