Thursday, July 12, 2007 BY DAVE D'ALESSANDRO Star-Ledger Staff Ever so subtly, Rod Thorn ratcheted up the pressure on Mikki Moore yesterday, speaking with surprising candor and enthusiasm about the free agent options the Nets have to fill the vacancy in their frontcourt. And all things being equal, maybe -- just maybe -- Jamaal Magloire could be a better fit, given the way the Nets were shoved around in the paint last season. "We met with Jamaal Magloire, and we might go in that direction," the Nets team president said from Orlando yesterday, when free agents began signing new contracts. "We did not make an offer. This was a fact-finding mission on both parts. But Lawrence (Frank) and I met with him (Tuesday) night, and it went very well. He's a veteran guy who has handled himself well. And as you know, he's a big, tough guy, which our team could use." And no, the shopping list doesn't necessarily stop there, unless Magloire can be had at low dollars. Thorn readily admits his team has, in varying degrees, interest in Joe Smith ("there are several teams bidding for him, so it might be difficult), former Knicks center Jackie Butler ("he hasn't had a chance to play, but he has some upside") and Maceo Baston ("he played well for Maccabi, but didn't get to play much in Indiana") if Plan A doesn't shake out. But the 6-11, 260-pound Magloire is the target, for now -- even though Thorn cannot say what has happened to the 29-year-old center's career since he was a 13-and-10 guy four seasons ago. "It hasn't kept going forward as it looked like it could several years ago in New Orleans," Thorn admitted. "So I'm not sure. But we know coaches who have had him that like him a lot. And I think he would like to play for us, because he sees a big opportunity." Here's the snag: The Nets already know Moore, and though they hesitate to admit it, he's proven to be a good fit in their system. With Magloire, there's not even a guarantee that Frank would even play him. At least that was the feeling around the organization last season, when every team had an opportunity to obtain him from Portland if it didn't mind picking up his $8.4 million salary. That, however, was what the dinner meeting was all about. And when Moore finally gets around to determining how much he can get in the open market, the Nets may have already moved on. In one sense, they already have. "We made an offer, left it open for a certain period of time, and it was not accepted," Thorn said of his offer to agent Mark Bartelstein, which was roughly for three years and $10 million. "So that offer is no longer viable. We'll have more conversations. But we have to decide what direction we want to go in, just as they have to do." The Nets and Vince Carter have already decided to stay wedded for at least four more years, but the contract wasn't signed as of late yesterday because Carter was in Los Angeles. It is likely to be faxed to him for his signature today. "We expect to get it done soon -- probably by (today) or Friday," agent Kurt Schoeppler said. "Vince is happy with the Nets organization, and things are headed in the right direction and he wanted to be a part of that." Thorn said the negotiation was smoother than most he's had with superstars, noting that the Nets "probably got a break that Orlando was (more) interested Rashard Lewis," who according to reports received a $110 million deal from the Magic. Carter's contract is a back-loaded deal that has four guaranteed seasons adding up to $61.8 million, with annual salaries of roughly $13M, $15.2M, $16.3M, and $17.3M. There is a fifth year (2011-12) that calls for a salary of $18M, but only part of it (between $3-4M) is guaranteed. "I couldn't wait for July 11th," Carter said yesterday in an ESPN interview while attending a Gatorade event. The eight-time All-Star, who said he received a slight push from captain Jason Kidd in an overseas phone call early in the negotiation, is likely to have a press conference tomorrow at the Nets' practice facility. Notes: As his boss had announced in May, Frank will get a two-year contract extension "very shortly, hopefully this week it'll get done," Thorn said. Frank's new deal is likely to at least match the league's average salary for head coaches ($3.8 million) if incentives are met. According to research by the Dallas Morning News, Frank was the 22nd highest paid coach in the league last season at $2.5 million. But he has since been leapfrogged by Sam Mitchell ($4.0M) and presumably P.J. Carlesimo, which makes him 24th entering the final season of his existing contract. --

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