With the Brooklyn Nets headed to the offseason, they’ve got free agents with decisions to make. Here’s a primer on the Brooklyn Nets free agents, including their options and expectations.
The skinny: After signing a three-year deal for the mid-level exception in 2012, Mirza Teletovic will hit the free agent market. If the Nets tender him a qualifying offer (a one-year offer sheet worth a little over $4 million), Teletovic will become a restricted free agent, meaning the Nets have the right to match any offer Teletovic signs. If they don’t, Teletovic will become an unrestricted free agent.
Teletovic regressed this season after a strong 2013-14 campaign, but those struggles were attributed to the blood clots that were found in his lungs in January. In 2013-14, Teletovic shot 39 percent from three-point range, averaging 8.6 points in 19.4 minutes per game.
The choice: Though he said he would “love” to return to the Nets, Teletovic has put all of his trust in his agent. “To be honest, last time I signed I was on a boat, right, and I got a call from my agent and he said that you’re going there and I said OK,” Teletovic said. “I trust him. I really trust him. I’ve been with him my whole career, since I was 14, so he’s been taking care of me, so I think I shouldn’t worry about it. … If he comes and says ‘this is better for you,’ I’m going to just nod my head and say OK.”
The market: It’s not clear what the market for Teletovic might be. Teams might be scared away following his issues with blood clots this season, or unsure of what he can contribute. But if he’s fully healthy, that shouldn’t be much of a deterrent.
The expectation: The Nets didn’t sign Paul Pierce last offseason, partially in anticipation of giving Teletovic a contract and more playing time. Unless he gets an unlikely, exorbitant deal, the Nets should have the capacity and willingness to re-sign him.
