Charania: Nets sign undrafted center Egidijus Mockevicius to partially guaranteed deal

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(AP/Samantha Baker)
(AP/Samantha Baker)
(AP/Samantha Baker)

Never one to rest on a dull Sunday morning, the Brooklyn Nets have signed Egidijus Mockevicius, the undrafted center from Evansville, to a partially guaranteed one-year deal, reports The Vertical’s Shams Charania.

Mockevicius averaged 15.7 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks over 31.8 minutes per game for Evansville in 2015-2016, a small Division 1 school in Indiana. During the pre-draft process, the Nets workout out Mockevicius and, if he makes the team, he’ll join a suddenly shrunken front court in Brooklyn.

Per DraftExpress, Mockevicius was named to the All-Conference 1st Team for the past two seasons and the All-Conference Defensive Team for the past three. Furthermore, they write:

Measured at 6’9” without shoes, with a 237 pound frame, at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, Mockevicius has just-decent size for a center and possess great length with a 7’0” wingspan. He’s not an elite athlete either, as he lacks a high level of agility and lateral quickness, but he works hard to get up and down the floor quickly. He is active and aggressive on the court, rarely taking plays off and always playing with high energy.

If highlights are more your speed, here’s a long video of what Mockevicius brings to the table:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_9-gFXFRIc

With Henry Sims and Willie Reed unlikely to return, Thaddeus Young dealt to the Pacers, and Thomas Robinson out on the free market, that suddenly left just Brook Lopez and Chris McCullough at the power forward and center positions. Although it sounds like Mockevicius is a bit limited around the rim currently, a little work with head coach Kenny Atkinson may go far way towards an NBA career for the center.

Mockevicius, presumably, will join the Nets’ Summer League roster in Las Vegas next month.

Shams Charania — The Vertical