They went into the opening night of free agency as a championship favorite and came out of it the same way, keeping their starting five intact.
The Nets re-signed unrestricted free agent center Blake Griffin to a one-year deal, in a move first reported by ESPN and confirmed by The Post. The 32-year-old Griffin started all 12 playoff games and should combine with the Big 3 and Joe Harris to give the Nets a semblance of stability as well as much-needed grit.
“We have a pretty good team and we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here. We don’t want to screw it up too bad,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said. “We want to add depth at the big position. That’s going to be important from a defensive and rebounding standpoint.”
Griffin had signed midseason after being bought out by the Pistons in February. Playing a complementary role alongside Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, he looked rejuvenated and threw down 18 dunks with the Nets after not having a single one for a year-and-a-half in Detroit. Griffin posted career-highs in both effective field goal percentage (57.4) and true shooting percentage (61).
More important, Griffin defended, took charges, hustled and did all the dirty work that this star-studded team needed.
The Nets had been quietly confident of being able to re-sign Griffin, especially since he was already due $29.7 million next season from the Pistons. Whatever the Nets pay him will simply offset that salary.
“We all saw the intangibles that he brought to us last year. Some on the court, some behind the scenes and what he did in the locker room: the veteran leadership, the presence that he had,” Marks said. “He was absolutely terrific and found a niche with the team. I think we would love him back. That’s certainly the plan.”
Even after spending a first-round pick Thursday on North Carolina’s 6-foot-11, 265-pound Day’Ron Sharpe, Marks had said he hoped to keep both Griffin and stretch-five Jeff Green. The Nets lost Green to Denver on a two-year, $10 million contract, according to ESPN, that snapped a string of five straight veteran minimum deals.
Still, Marks and owner Joe Tsai are braced for being tens of millions into the luxury tax and realize after going all-in with the Big Three this is no time for half measures.
“We’re married to the luxury tax. So there’s no ifs, ands or buts about that,” Marks said. “We know where we are; we know where we’ve been heading for some time now. And that’s the commitment Joe Tsai has made. To have an owner like that that’s all-in and we’re committed for this year and the following years.”
Now the Nets will turn their eyes to their backcourt, and free agents Spencer Dinwiddie and Bruce Brown. Dinwiddie holds the most intrigue, with his market possibly coming down to the Knicks, Wizards and Pelicans.
The Nets rejected a sign-and-trade offer of Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell, but Dinwiddie will still meet with Washington and actually got an endorsement from Bradley Beal, according to The Athletic. New Orleans could get the edge by giving him a longer deal worth over $20 million annually.
“That’s the quandary where we’re at. It’s an interesting dilemma. It’s a good one to have,” Marks said. “Spencer deserves his ability to go into the free-agent market and test it. If we’re going to participate in a sign-and-trade, it’s really up to Spencer as to where he wants to play, first and foremost. He’s going to have to decide that.
“How we spend that money and how much luxury tax we go into, we’ve already got the commitment from Joe Tsai that we’re going for it. We’re in. We’re not going to take shortcuts at this stage.”
The Nets have the taxpayer mid-level exception, worth $5.9 million. They have interest in both shooting guard Bryn Forbes and 6-8 wing Otto Porter Jr., while NetsDaily reported they could pursue Patty Mills, 33, if they lose Dinwiddie.
Marks knows Mills from his Spurs days, although he’s expected to command between $6 million and $8 million. Marks inked Porter — a career 40.2 percent shooter from 3 — to a four-year, $106.5 million offer sheet in 2017 that got matched by Washington. Porter and Forbes should be available for the mid-level exception, as should Knicks defender Frank Ntilikina and aging shooter JJ Redick (who lives in Brooklyn during the offseason).
Ex-Net David Nwaba, Dante Exum and Tacko Fall all are available, potentially for the league minimum.