Rick Pitino to the Nets? Please...

It seems like all the talk today is about Rick Pitino thanks to this story from Mitch Lawrence of the Daily News saying, essentially, that Pitino has gone through back channels to contact the Nets brass about the head coaching position.

Depending where you look, its all but a lock that he's going, or its all but a lock he's staying in Louisville. Both Rick Pitino and Rod Thorn have both denied this rumor, already.

To be perfectly honest, I don't see this happening.

I get how things must be for him in Louisville. There's no doubt the amount of time he can spend out of the town is severely limited thanks to everything he's been through this season.

But we are talking about Pitino here. Is he really going to leave Louisville and college basketball on anything other than his terms? Do you think he wants his college basketball legacy to be "Karen Sypher and an abortion drove him to the pros"? Wouldn't jetting to the NBA now mean that John Calipari, his rival and head coach at Pitino's old school, "won"?

But the biggest reason is that he would be going to the Nets. The Nets! The worst job in the NBA. He's been down this road before, going 102-146 in four forgettable seasons with the Celtics. And remember last summer when the rumors flew about Pitino going to Sacramento?

All in all, this is a story that will likely play out after the season's done.

That said, I fully expect Pitino to be on the Louisville sideline next season.