The Nets can go a variety of different ways in the NBA Draft Thursday night. Here is a breakdown of each of their options:
– Do nothing: this is the most unlikely scenario. The Nets currently only own the No. 57 pick, after dealing their first rounder to Portland in the Gerald Wallace trade in March. But between the expiring contracts of Anthony Morrow and Johan Petro and the $3 million in cash they have to spend, it’s highly unlikely all they will do is make a selection with a pick general manager Billy King said he’d be “stunned” made an impact next season.
– Buy at least one pick: this could be the most likely scenario. Plenty of teams are looking to get out of the back-half of the first round, and the Nets have budgeted their $3 million for the 2011-12 season to spend on the draft. With players like Perry Jones III, Jared Sullinger and Evan Fournier available in the 20s, it’s possible that they could decide to move up and land one of them. They could also use that money to land multiple picks if they choose to do that.
– Create more cap space: this, too, is an option. The most likely scenario would be to move Johan Petro’s $3.5 million expiring, along with the $3 million in cash, for either a pick in this year’s draft or a later conditional pick that the Nets may never give up simply to get his salary off the books. That would give the Nets even more flexibility than they already have heading into free agency, where they hope to re-sign Deron Williams and then surround him with talent.
The only sure thing is that the Nets will be an interesting team to watch on draft night, despite being out of the first round. Expect them to do something – the only question is what that something is.