The Nets brass went to the NBA’s pre-draft camp in Orlando last week and saw what essentially will be second-round picks.
The majority of players that anyone has ever heard of stayed away from the showcase as if locusts hit central Florida.
Still, when you’re looking for depth, like the Nets, and you have two low first-round picks – like the Nets – you had to be there.
“Last year from the pre-draft camp, three players drafted in the first round, seven drafted in the second round and 13 free agents made NBA rosters,” explained Nets GM Ed Stefanski. “One-third of that camp made NBA rosters. That makes it imperative to be there.”
By many accounts, three players improved their lot: 6-7 Washington small forward Bobby Jones, 6-10 South Florida center Solomon Jones and 6-1 UCLA point guard Jordan Farmar.
The Nets, who continue workouts today, seek depth up front and at the point.
Their size issue brings up last year’s second round pick, Mile Ilic, the 7-1 Serbian center who will bypass the summer league to try out for his national team in early July. There is thought of bringing him to the States for next year. Stefanski, team president Rod Thorn and Ilic’s agent, Marc Cornstein, will meet to discuss the matter.
“If the Nets want to bring him over, they can do it,” said Cornstein, who did not foresee the hassles of a contract buyout like the one that beset Nenad Krstic, another Cornstein client. “There is no timetable but you would always like to get this done sooner than later.”
Stefanski said it is “premature” to say that next season Ilic will be with the Nets, who can pay up to $500,000 toward a European contract buyout. Stefanski said the Nets are weighing the pros and cons.
“Rod and I will meet with his agent to see if it makes sense for him to come over or not,” Stefanski said. “That meeting still has to be set. Ilic is going to turn 22 [on July 2]. So the question is how long to leave him there? They do a nice job, but you always think you can do better; that’s only natural. We’d like to get him in the weight room. That’s one idea on bringing him over. But he may not get playing time, so is that good?”
The Nets also await word on whether Krstic will play for his national team. It seems Krstic realizes his body could use the rest but there is tremendous pressure in his homeland to play.