For the moment, Mirza Teletovic’s free agency has taken a backseat in Brooklyn.
“Right now, no disrespect to Mirza, my main focus right now is (re-signing) Brook (Lopez) and Thaddeus (Young) because I think they’re two key pieces for us,” Nets general manager Billy King said Wednesday.
That’s not to say they don’t want Teletovic back. The Nets have tendered him a $4.2 million qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent and allowing them to match any offer made to him by another NBA team.
But it’s more that they’ll need to figure out what they’ll do with everything else: Lopez & Young, the market for Deron Williams & Joe Johnson, if they can sneak under the luxury tax, things like that. Then comes Teletovic.
It’s not clear what the market will be for a big shooter that missed most of the season after a scary bout with blood clots in his lungs, but he’s certain to get a few offers from around the league. When Teletovic spoke at a press conference in his home country of Bosnia, he reiterated that he likes Brooklyn, citing his teammates and how the team treated him during his medical crisis. From Sportske Novosti via NetsDaily:
“I like Brooklyn, people are great, I know the team and everyone, especially doctors, treated me great when all that happened. I really would like to stay in Brooklyn, I know my teammates and everything is really great. I do not know what will be, but I’ll know more in June when free agent market starts.”
According to Teletovic, he signed his Nets contract while on a boat, oceans away from the NBA world. Earlier this week, Teletovic said he would “love” to stay with the Nets, but he would leave the decision entirely in the hands of his agent. “If he comes and says ‘this is better for you,’ I’m going to just nod my head and say OK,” Teletovic said.
NetsDaily — Mirza Teletovic: “My desire is to stay with the Nets”
