The Nets are in the point guard market after waiving starter Jarrett Jack, and they’ve landed a meeting with one of the best in this year’s free-agent class. Brooklyn will get a sit-down with Sacramento’s Rajon Rondo, the Post has learned.
Free agency began at 12:01 a.m. Friday morning, and ESPN also reported Orlando’s Brandon Jennings will work out for the Nets on Friday morning at UCLA.
Jay-Z and Roc Nation reps tried to get Kevin Durant, the top player on the market, at least to meet with Brooklyn, but he refused, according to Yahoo. And while Al Horford not locking up a quick deal with Atlanta buoyed the Nets’ slim hopes of landing the elite big man, it’s clear point guard is their most glaring need.
Waiving Jack and his $6.3 million salary for next season — and stretching out the $500,000 owed over the next three years, leaves the Nets second in the NBA with $55.4 million in cap space to rebuild their roster.
Rondo could be a huge key.
The 30-year-old — who averaged an NBA-best 11.7 assists this past season while on a one-year contract in Sacramento — is believed to favor a return to a major market, and a source confirmed that he will have a meeting with Brooklyn.
Rondo’s options dwindled somewhat when the Knicks acquired Derrick Rose. Though Kings general manager Vlade Divac and DeMarcus Cousins — who talks to Rondo every other day — have both gone on record saying they’d love to have Rondo back, he very much remains in play for the Nets.
“He knows where my heart is … I’d love to have him back. That’s all I can really say,’’ Cousins said at Monday’s Team USA event in Harlem.
The Grizzlies’ Mike Conley is arguably the top point guard available. Though the Commercial Appeal reports the Nets are one of five teams willing to offer him a maximum contract, there’s no indication he’ll meet with them. They can offer only $113 million over four years, while Memphis can top $150 million over five.
Next up are Jennings and the Hornets’ Jeremy Lin.
Orlando was 3.2 points worse per 100 possessions with Jennings on the floor, but the 26-year-old is still rounding into shape after a January, 2015 ACL tear and could be a shrewd buy-low candidate.
Lin — expected to command between $12 million-$14 million annually — has three meetings already set up, none of them with the Hornets. As a pick-and-roll specialist, he’d be a perfect fit for center Brook Lopez; and his ties with the Nets are both obvious and strong.
Lin made a name for himself with the Knicks in 2011-12 when Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson was an assistant in the Garden. Lin has gushed over how pivotal Atkinson was in his development, and Atkinson spoke Tuesday about the importance of personal relationships during NBA free agency.
“I want to find a home … I want to see how good I can become,” Lin said recently at a conversation at the World Economic Forum.
Brooklyn is also closing in on a deal for Spanish ex-Knick Sergio Rodriguez, who was Euroleague MVP in 2014 and won the Euroleague title last year but is viewed more as an elite backup by most of the league execs the Post spoke with.
In addition to Horford, Brooklyn has interest in Wizards forward Jared Dudley, and may overpay to try to pry away young restricted free agents Tyler Johnson of the Heat and Trail Blazers guard Allen Crabbe. The Vertical reported interest in Knick forward Lance Thomas, while SheridanHoops reported interest in former Net stretch four Ryan Anderson.