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Nets want to keep Pierce, Garnett, rest of core

By WTOP Staff

BRIAN MAHONEY
AP Basketball Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Jason Kidd’s shirt read “GOLF,” which he said was more random wardrobe choice than upcoming itinerary.

He has plenty of time for that hobby with his first season as an NBA coach over, but it won’t be all fun for the Brooklyn Nets this offseason. Not with the potential for surgery for Deron Williams and decisions to make for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, who infused the Nets with a winner’s mentality when they came from Boston last summer.

The Nets and their roster worth nearly $200 million in salaries and taxes couldn’t reach their lofty expectations, falling to the Miami Heat in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. But they surpassed where it appeared they were headed after a 10-21 start and the season-ending loss of All-Star center Brook Lopez. So even facing some big questions, they like where they sit.

“I do think we’ve got Brooklyn being a place where players want to play and we’ve got a coach that players want to play for,” general manager Billy King said. “I think we play a good style, so I don’t look at it as the sky is falling as much we’ve got some assets and things to do and we’ll work at it.”

Pierce will be a free agent and showed he can still provide a team with scoring punch at 36. Garnett’s game is further gone as he prepares to turn 38 next week. He remains a strong defender and team leader, but averaged a career-low 6.5 points in 54 games, missing a large chunk of the season with back spasms and playing just 20.5 minutes per game as Kidd tried to keep him fresh for the playoffs.

Garnett has a year and $12 million remaining on his contract, and the Nets want him back. King said he told Garnett to take some time when they spoke on the plane ride home from Miami, but Kidd realizes Garnett will have to consider walking away from guaranteed money, just as he did when he retired last season.

“He’s done it for a long time at a very high level and the biggest thing and concerns that I’ve talked to him about is you don’t want to leave with someone carrying you off the court,” Kidd said.

“I mean, it’s 19 or 20 years that he’ll been playing and also being judged on what you’ve done, or some people holding you to where if you were 25, which can be unfair at times. But that’s just part of the gig, so he’s got to make a decision, but the big thing is we want him back because we understand the importance that he brings to this franchise.”

Neither Pierce nor Garnett spoke when the Nets met with reporters at their practice facility.

Andrei Kirilenko, Andray Blatche and Alan Anderson all have player options on their contracts. Shaun Livingston will be a free agent, having to decide if he’s found a home with the Nets, or if he can get the lucrative payday that once seemed a cinch but never came after the former No. 4 overall pick wrecked his knee in his third NBA season.

Then there’s Jason Collins, who became the NBA’s first openly gay player when he signed with the Nets in February. He said he doesn’t know what his basketball plans are, but he will have far better and more influential options than being a 35-year-old backup center.

“My goal right now is to empower others and also support those like Derrick Gordon, Michael Sam, Robbie Rogers, and over the next months, years, whoever else joins that list of out, active players,” Collins said.

Williams plans to have an MRI on his ankles that have slowed him the last two seasons and he may end up surgically repairing them in hopes of relocating his game and his confidence.

“It just took a beating on me,” the two-time Olympian said. “Just couldn’t do what I wanted to, can’t finish the way I want to finish. You just start thinking about things. So that was just the main thing. Confidence-wise, it’s hard to get back to where I was.”

If he gets back to form, Lopez does as well after surgeries on his broken right foot and left ankle, and Pierce and Garnett return, the Nets believe they will be fine next season. After two years of roster and coaching changes, King thinks the Nets’ biggest need might just be continuity.

“Next season, we pick up right where we left off!” owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement.

___

Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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