The Nets yesterday were finalizing their roster for the summer league in Orlando while taking the first steps of upgrading the team through free agency.
“Today was the first salvo,” president Rod Thorn said after free agency courting officially began.
“We talked to a bunch of different agents, but there haven’t been any offers.”
Teams also talked to Net free agents, specifically DeSagana Diop, who has drawn sufficient interest from around the league that will likely place him beyond the Nets’ price range.
The Nets have a list of about 20 names, mainly wings, and near the top is Roger Mason, a 6-foot-5 guard who averaged 8.0 points with Washington last season, when he made a minimum $770,610. Figure he’ll command in the $2.5 million range.
Also of interest to the Nets are Warrior forwards Mickael Pietrus and Matt Barnes, Orlando’s Maurice Evans, Indy’s Kareem Rush, Knick Fred Jones and Clipper Quinton Ross.
The Nets have two other free agents, restricted Nenad Krstic and unrestricted Bostjan Nachbar. The Nets will likely adopt a wait-and-see mode depending on the type of offers the two forwards receive.
Meanwhile, the Nets compiled their summer-league roster, which includes their three draft picks, first-rounders center Brook Lopez and forward Ryan Anderson plus second-rounder Chris Douglas-Roberts.