Milos Teodosic, regarded as the best international player not in the NBA, finally wants to come to North America, and a report from his native Serbia says the Nets are interested.
Teodosic, 29, is a 6-foot-5 point guard who led CSKA Moscow to the Euroleague title and Serbia to an Olympic silver medal within the past year. Teodosic is a free agent this summer and recently told Mozzartsport he “will go to the NBA for sure.”
On Monday, Serbian newspaper Novosti reported the Nets (and Nuggets) have interest in signing him. The move makes sense for both sides. Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov owned CSKA Moscow for years.
“We’re going to be looking at where we can find undervalued players, and again that could be anywhere,’’ said Nets GM Sean Marks, who worked alongside former CSKA coach Ettore Messina in San Antonio. “That can be from the D-League, NBA, leagues in Europe, Australia, you name it, we’re going to be looking anywhere: Where are the guys that are undervalued? And we’ll see. We’ll see what happens.”
At a league-worst 9-49, having to swap this year’s high draft pick with Boston and holding no first-rounder next year, the Nets need talent. Point guard Jeremy Lin has missed 44 of 58 games, and would be able to move off the ball to accommodate Teodosic — as he did last season in Charlotte alongside Kemba Walker.
Yes, Teodosic turns 30 on March 19 and is regarded as a poor defender. But he’s a brilliant passer with sublime floor vision. He had 18 points and six assists matched up against All-Star Kyrie Irving when Serbia nearly upset the US in the group stage in this summer’s Rio Olympics. Teodosic has guided CSKA into the Euroleague Final Four in all five of his years with the club.
In the annual GM survey, a landslide 53.6 percent tabbed Teodosic as the top foreign player not in the league.
Teodosic abused the Timberwolves and Ricky Rubio for 26 points and nine assists in a preseason game on Oct. 7, 2013, and the Grizzles tried to pry him away with a two-year, $5 million deal three years ago. Instead, Teodosic re-signed with CSKA in June 2014 for three years and $7 million.
That contract is up this summer, when the Nets are expected to have up to $33 million in salary cap room.
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