Arriving in New Jersey as a draft-day trade. Richard Jefferson would become an integral part of the Nets' back-to-back appearances in the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003.  The Small Forward would gradually grow his skills, and at one time, he was among the best mid-range shooters in the NBA.  Jefferson would twice go over 22 Points per Game (2004-05 & 2007-08), and over his seven seasons as a Net, he averaged 17.4 PPG.  While he was never an All-Star, a case can be made that he is one of the best players ever who was never chosen for it. 

Vince Carter forced his way out of Toronto, where he put the Raptors on the map, and the landing point of “Air Canada” would be New Jersey. 

Brook Lopez was the tenth overall pick in the 2008 Draft, and he proved immediately to be an excellent choice for the New Jersey Nets.  The former Stanford Cardinal finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, and in his fifth year, he was an All-Star.  The Center played nine seasons for the Nets, where he was often the team’s main scorer. He had four campaigns in which he exceeded 20 Points per Game, and he averaged 18.6 PPG for the team.  He was also an excellent blocker who finished in the top ten in Blocks per Game four times with New Jersey/Brooklyn.  Sadly, Lopez was not surrounded by many other great players, and he was only in the playoffs twice with the team.

In terms of duration, Buck Williams is the top of the Nets' food chain as he is the franchise leader in Games Played, Minutes Played, and is also the leader in Rebounds and is second all-time in Points.  This isn’t a bad way to start discussing Buck Williams and his time with the New Jersey Nets.