Nets cite lack of pressure, fresh start with Andrea Bargnani signing
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The Brooklyn Nets are hoping the punchline no longer rings humorous when it comes to Andrea Bargnani.
The Nets swooped in to sign Bargnani on Sunday, despite the Italian reportedly having been close to a deal with the Sacramento Kings. In giving Bargnani a two-year deal - he has a player option for the second season - even at the league minimum, the Nets are betting on talent over track record.
They're also hoping that a change of scenery, complete with the first expectation-free season of his career, could make a difference, general manager Billy King said Monday.
From the New York Post:
I really don't look back. We have to look forward.
That's the thing. When we were bringing in, say, (Andray) Blatche, we said, 'You've got a fresh start, this is a new opportunity.' So we always try to tell players when they come in, 'Don't worry about what happened. This is a new opportunity. We're not going to judge you on what happened in your past. This is a fresh start for you.'
...
I think there's no pressure on him. We're not asking him to come in and be a savior. We're asking him to come in and play basketball and provide shooting and experience.
It's a reasonable gamble for the Nets, who needed to fill out their roster with low-cost players, preferably with the upside to deliver a profit on their deal. Bargnani is much-maligned, but rolling the dice that he can be a post-hype sleeper of sorts is the type of move necessitated by limited flexibility.
The No. 1 overall pick in 2006, Bargnani showed flashes of great offensive play for the Toronto Raptors but was never able to string together a long stretch of sustained success. The Raptors doubled down on their bet with a five-year, $51-million contract extension that began in 2010, but jettisoned him to the New York Knicks when he continued to disappoint into 2013.
The Knicks paid a handsome price to take on Bargnani's deal, surrendering a future first-round pick and a pair of second-round picks, all while taking on the final two onerous years of his contract. He was rarely healthy in New York, and though he scored fairly well in 2014-15, he didn't come close to warranting the price tag.
Over 504 career games, Bargnani has averaged 15 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks while shooting 43.8 percent overall and 35.6 percent on threes. A 29-year-old with those numbers signing for the minimum seems like good value, even if all things Bargnani are accompanied by the specter of impending doom.