Editor’s Note: All opinions expressed by Tom Dowd are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Brooklyn Nets or the team’s Basketball Operations staff, parent company, partners, or sponsors.
I see you’ve taken Zach Lowe’s Lin/Bender speculation and ramped things up a bit. As for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, he’s eligible to sign a rookie scale extension before the start of the season. If that doesn’t happen, then over the course of the next year, the Nets front office has to examine two questions: What kind of offer do they believe Hollis-Jefferson will receive in restricted free agency and is that what they want to pay him? And then act accordingly.
Keep this in mind: RHJ is a 3-point shot away from being an immensely valuable player in this league. At the close of the season he said developing that was a priority for both him and the coaching staff. If they’re successful there, I’m not sure if that makes him a stretch 4 or a more traditional small forward, but it will greatly impact the answer to the previous two questions. As it is, he can defend multiple positions at 6-foot-7, has a high motor, and has clearly become a much stronger player over his three years in the league. He took a big leap forward offensively last season in both finishing at the rim and scoring from mid-range. He’s terrific in the open court, rebounds well for his size and is a huge locker-room plus. There’s value there that this team sees, and yes, so will others.
Dzanan Musa played more than 70 games in a season that wrapped up just a few weeks before the NBA Draft, so he is not expected to play in Summer League, though he is on the roster. Second-round pick Rodions Kurucs is expected to play.