LAS VEGAS _ Just as the Wizards always indicated they would do, they matched the Nets' four-year, $106.5 million maximum restricted free agent offer to Otto Porter Jr nearly two hours before the midnight deadline Saturday night. That means Nets general manager Sean Marks now has thrown up his fourth straight air ball in the restricted free-agent market.
One NBA source noted that Marks previously failed to land Tyler Johnson Allen Crabbe and Donatas Motiejunas when their teams matched his RFA offer sheets, and the source described his attempt to pry Porter from the Wizards' control to Newsday as "futile," which is exactly what it turned out to be.
The news first was reported by the Washington Post. According to the NBA source, the Wizards not only planned to match the offer but also to make it contingent on Porter reporting and undergoing a physical exam, and multiple reports indicate they are following that strategy.
Porter has a two-day window to report, and the Wizards then have a two-day window in which to decide whether to withdraw their match, which they will not do. The negative effect on the Nets is to keep $24.77 million of their salary-cap space _ the equivalent of the first-year salary for Porter _ tied up an extra three or four days to make it difficult for them to immediately sign other free agents. Even with that cap hold, however, the Nets had an additional 5.4 million of cap space available.
Faced with the likelihood of the Wizards matching the offer to Porter, the Nets made contingency plans. They reportedly have shown interest in wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, whose contract was renounced by the Pistons on Friday, and in 12-year veteran small forward C.J. Miles of the Pacers, who is an unrestricted free agent and shot 41.3 percent from 3-point range last season.
Another report indicated the Timberwolves are trying to unload the final two years of Cole Aldrich's contract to the Nets, whose demand for the first-round pick the Pacers received from Oklahoma City is an obstacle. The Nets also might be interested in nine-year veteran power forward Ersan Ilyasova, a career 36.6 percent shooter from 3-point range whose contract was renounced by the Hawks.
Before free agency opened Marks and coach Kenny Atkinson said they are interested in adding one or two veteran free agents to balance the Nets' youthful roster. "Sure, I think it's possible," Atkinson said Saturday following practice for the Nets' Summer League team. "We've got to see how things play out with everything, but I do think we agree that we don't want to go in with a totally young roster. We do need that veteran support.
"If it doesn't happen, I do feel confident. You have Jeremy (Lin) and Trevor (Booker) obviously. If we don't find the right guy, I think with the leadership of those guys, we can hold the fort down."
One problem the Nets faced last year was the lack of a skilled backup point guard in the first half of the season. But Atkinson said there is less urgency to address that in free agency because of their trade for D'Angelo Russell, who will start at shooting guard, and the development of Spencer Dinwiddie.
"Jeremy and D'Angelo can both play point guard, so, you could stagger their minutes where they're kind of covering for each other ... and Spencer can kind of flip in there. If there's a steady vet that we feel like can help our guys develop, that's within the realm of possibility. But I do feel pretty comfortable that between Jeremy and D'Angelo and now Spencer that you can cover it."
So, the Nets' Plan B is most likely to focus on landing veteran three-point shooters who can help the Nets at small forward and power forward.
