When the Thunder rescinded their qualifying offer to Dion Waiters earlier this week, making him an unrestricted free agent, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical identified the Nets as a potential suitor for Waiters. However, NetsDaily later expressed skepticism that Brooklyn would pursue the free agent guard.
Today, ESPN’s Marc Stein (all Twitter links) weighs in on the subject, reporting that the Nets had a face-to-face meeting with Waiters earlier this month in Las Vegas, but moved on without working out a deal with him. Although that meeting happened when Waiters was still a restricted free agent, Stein suggests there’s no indication yet that Brooklyn has altered its stance on pursuing the 24-year-old now that he’s a UFA.
Let’s check in on a few other free agency notes from around the NBA…
- Donatas Motiejunas is one of just three restricted free agents still on the market, and he spoke to Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston about his status. According to Motiejunas, his agent remains in touch with the Rockets, but he’s also talking to other possible suitors. “There are a couple of teams that still have a lot of interest in me,” Motiejunas said. “I’m not necessarily back (with the Rockets). There are teams that also have a chance to offer (a contract). You never know what’s going to happen, but if it ends up I’m coming back, I’m really happy.”
- Rodrigue Beaubois will decline a partially-guaranteed minimum-salary contract offer from the Mavericks, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. Dallas was willing to give Beaubois a chance to compete for a roster spot this fall, but it sounds like the free agent guard is close to agreeing to a deal with Spanish team Saski Baskonia instead. Beaubois, a former first-round pick, has played overseas for the last several seasons and had a much larger role than he ever did in the NBA.
- While Tyler Johnson would have been happy to join the Nets after signing an offer sheet with Brooklyn, he was hoping the Heat would match it, as he tells Couper Moorhead of Heat.com. “This is where I’m most comfortable. This is where I’ve found my way in the league. This is where my friends are at. These are the people that I’ve gone through battles with,” Johnson said. “At the end of the day I was still hoping I could figure out a way to come back and be in a HEAT uniform.”
- The Cavaliers are playing it smart by being patient and cautious with J.R. Smith in free agency, opines Bud Shaw of Cleveland.com.