Mikhail Prokhorov’s cash is paying off.
The Nets entered the 2014 NBA draft with no picks, but their wealthy owner ensured Brooklyn didn’t end the night empty-handed.
The Nets bought three second-round picks on draft night – No. 44 (Markel Brown), No. 59 (Xavier Thames) and No. 60 (Cory Jefferson).
Two of those players are headed to Brooklyn’s official roster.
Tim Bontemps of the New York Post:
League sources say the Nets will be signing both Cory Jefferson and Markel Brown, which would take their roster to 15 players.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) July 22, 2014
No word on whether either contract is guaranteed, leaving the possibility Brown and/or Jefferson don’t survive training camp. Most likely, though, both stick into the regular season.
It’s been pretty busy offseason for the Nets, who’ve re-signed Alan Anderson, convinced Kevin Garnett not to retire, traded for Jarrett Jack and Sergey Karasev, used the taxpayer mid-level exception on Bojan Bogdanovic and hired Lionel Hollins as head coach.
Signing a couple second rounders would be a reasonable way to close the offseason, though the Nets typically keep searching for bigger splashes.
That leaves Thames blowing in the wind, and I’d guess he’ll spend next season overseas or in the D-League.