As far as the NBA is concerned, we can now say with 100 percent certainty that the real story of the declining economy isn't that teams will cut salary across the board; it's that the league is bifurcating into the haves and have-nots. In the past 72 hours, that process has run amok. With the draft yet to begin and free agency still days away, the Orlando Magic and the New Jersey Nets are set to consummate what would be the fifth salary dump trade in the past 48 hours: The Nets are sending Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson to the Magic for Tony Battie, Rafer Alston and Courtney Lee.
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
Get ESPN+