I think we were all ready to get into a tizzy this morning when this story was filed and sent out to the masses.

Mitch Lawrence of the Daily News wrote a piece that Nets GM Rod Thorn and Rick Pitino himself have already gone on the record to deny. It’s a natural reaction, of course. Even though Louisville is about 20 lengths behind in the Big East race, this is a distraction he’d rather not have.

Boy, what a year it’s been for Pitino, huh?

For the second time in that year span, an NBA job as been affiliated with the native New Yorker. The Nets and Sacramento have been the rumored destinations. I know it’s New York and the media there and the talk and all, but this could be legitimate. How many times have we seen stuff like this bubble up and come to fruition? More times that you’d think.

What’s so funny about this is how similar this year’s Nets job is to the Celtics job in 1997. If anything, we should know this: Pitino would be a fool to accept the Nets job before the Draft lottery. He needs to know for certain he has that No. 1 pick!

As a reminder, he was 102-146 with Boston. He has said on many, many occasions that college is where he is supposed to be and he would never go back to the NBA. In fact, he reiterated that this morning. More below.

First, what Lawrence wrote.

Sources close to Pitino said that the Louisville coach has reached out to Nets brass in recent days, making himself a candidate for the job now held by GM and interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe, and due to open after their woeful season is completed in April.

According to sources, Pitino had intermediaries recently contact Nets president Rod Thorn on his behalf. Thorn himself is in the final year of a contract, and is looking to get a new deal from incoming owner Mikhail Prokhorov.

But this notes and tidbits article from NJ.com has a 10:45 published time from last night. Everyone in the building — and there weren’t that many people there — knew what was up. The official response from Thorn came last night, really, but was posited this morning by way of the text message. It said:

“Have not had any contact with Pitino. To my knowledge, no one in our organization has, either.’’

Ah, Thorn lacks some knowledge. That means absolutely nothing to me, and it should mean nothing to you, too.

So, let’s go straight to the source. Who else but Pat Forde, a Louisville shill (and, at times, a good writer), to get Pitino to go on the record.

There’s not an ounce of truth to it. … I have no interest, period,” Pitino said Thursday. “I’m done with coaching professional basketball. I’ve put the professional ranks behind me.”

It would be a reverse Nick Saban if this came to pass. I’d also be pretty shocked, because Pitino has infused in just how much his wife and family love and feel at home in Kentucky.

Does it help or hurt the fact Louisville is in New York City to play St. John’s tonight? Yep, Madison Square Garden. I’m sure we’ll get some more definitive nos from Pitino on the Nets’ job. At least a Louisville-St. John’s game will be slightly interesting, right? Let’s get someone to address Adrian Wojnarowski’s tweet from this morning.

The Pitino story in NYDN is accurate. He’s been working back channels to Russian owner and management.for weeks. They know he wants job.

And one more quick take, fresh off the keyboard from Eric Crawford of the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Secondly, I don’t put it out of the realm of possibility that Pitino would have interest in an eventual return to the NBA. I do believe, however, given all that has gone on with him, he’s not going to leave college basketball on anything less than his own terms, and I would think that means with a team that is nationally ranked and a Big East contender. His college legacy is very important to him.

I agree with that. I also admit to being largely ignorant to just what his life is like in Louisville. There are many factors here. The Sypher thing. The Calipari rivalry and competition. Did you know Pitino bought his SID a Lexus? Just what the hell is that about?

Anyway, it’s the Nets, folks. The most terrible of terrible jobs in the NBA. For now. Draft picks and free agency are around the corner. I don’t do much NBA, but I do know that this team could get to 50 wins in two years if it got Lopez and Devin Harris a little bit of help. To a man with an ego as big as Pitino’s, you wonder how much restraint he would have if he was given so much power and the ability to bring star power to the NYC/N.J. market.

It would certainly be a step up from Louisville, right?

Only to a certain extent.

Consider this: He’s at program No. 2 in Kentucky, and he’d at NBA franchise No. 2 in that market if he went to the Nets. It’s a risky move, one that I’m not sure even Pitino would chance.