NJ Governor Eyes Nets Moving Back to Garden State

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has only been in office a bit over 100 days, but has made it clear that she would love for the Brooklyn Nets to return to their old stomping grounds.

"I mean, would I support it? I ask about it all the time," Sherrill said in late April at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. "I love the idea. So, I have been pressing for that. I haven’t made a lot of headway yet; you know, maybe in my second 100 days."

The Nets spent 35 seasons in New Jersey before making the move to the Big Apple in the 2012-2013 campaign.

Although moving the Nets back to the Garden State seems unlikely, Sherrill hinted towards New Jersey getting some professional sport attention in the future.

"But I do think there is some work being done for some," Sherrill said. "I don’t know if I’m allowed to say too much about it — but some people are working on some different sports coming into the Rock."

For the time being, the franchise seems pretty comfortable where they're at. Despite the team's recent struggles, the Nets averaged 17,412 fans this season, nearly selling out every game.

Clearly, the fans love their team and continue to show out regardless of the team's standing.

"They’re perfectly happy in Brooklyn..." a highly-placed league source told the NY Post. "There have been no conversations with ownership or leadership and the governor or her administration. [They] have no plans to bring the Brooklyn Nets back to New Jersey."

The Nets have also made huge strides in forming a fan culture, while also significantly increasing the value of the franchise.

However, the Nets' success during their time in New Jersey has severely outweighed their strides in New York, as the franchise's only two NBA Finals appearances came in 2001-2002 and 2002-2003.

Fiscally, the move has been a huge win for the franchise.

Prior to the Nets leaving New Jersey, they were the 21st-most valuable franchise in the NBA.

According to NBC Sports, the Nets are now the tenth-most valuable team, estimating at a $6 billion valuation.

Part of this can be attributed to the massive advantage New York markets have with media rights deals, as the Nets signed on with YES Network in 2015.

The contract earns Brooklyn an annual average of $40 million and runs through the 2031-32 season, with options for renewal following expiration.

YES allows Brooklyn's games to be shown on mainstream media each night, despite the plethora of streaming services with current NBA media rights deals.

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