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| Collins, who came out as the first gay American active male pro athlete last April, has seen his off-court news overshadow his on-court exploits, and hasn't been on a NBA team since last year with the Wizards |
The trade deadline has come and gone, with the Nets only making one move: trading Jason Terry and Reggie Evans to the Sacramento Kings for shooting guard Marcus Thornton. That deal makes Brooklyn a lot younger and gives Jason Kidd an explosive scorer to have off the bench. A rumor linking the Nets to Jordan Hill of the Lakers never materialized, still leaving Brooklyn with a need for a reserve power forward.
Yesterday, news leaked that former Net draft pick and teammate of Kidd, Jason Collins–who has been newsworthy since last April when he came out as gay–worked out with the team, which has an open roster spot because of the Thornton trade. If signed by the Nets, Collins would be the first active gay NBA player in history and the first active athlete in any of the four major North American sports.
Considering that Collins spent over six years with the New Jersey Nets–and was on both Finals teams in the early 2000s–and has a good relationship with Kidd and the organization overall (he also spent half of the 2012-13 season with the Celtics as teammates of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett), Brooklyn picking him up would seem to make sense.
The increased media spotlight put on Collins and the team would best be handled in the country's biggest city in New York/Brooklyn, where it probably wouldn't be a huge distraction to the Nets due to its more progressive nature. That's why a city like San Antonio or Orlando–for example–wouldn't be the best fit. Additionally, Collins' skill set–good rebounder and defender who provides a great locker room presence–is exactly what Brooklyn is looking for.
However, if the Nets don't end up signing the Stanford grad, they might instead go after another former Celtic power forward that is a new free agent. The Orlando Magic bought out Glen Davis, the artist sometimes known as Big Baby, yesterday, freeing up him and his contract to sign wherever he wants once he clears waivers. Brooklyn, along with the Clippers, has expressed interest in Davis, who is averaging 12.1 points on 45% shooting in 30.1 minutes a game this season. He doesn't provide the defensive presence that Collins does, but he's a better scorer and interestingly enough, went to LSU, just like Marcus Thornton.
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