Nene Reportedly Unhappy with Potential Drop in Contract Value in Free Agency

Longtime NBA center Nene is reportedly going to re-evaluate his options in free agency amid reports the post player was set to re-sign with the Houston Rockets.

Marc J. Spears of ESPN reported Saturday that Nene is "back at square one" in the process after an expected $4 million drop in contract value.

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle previously noted the center had come to terms on a four-year, $15 million deal with Rockets. ESPN's Bobby Marks noted it was later changed to three years for $10.9 million because of the "Over 38 Rule."

Shams Charania of The Vertical confirmed the previous deal fell apart. Spears noted Houston remains "optimistic" it can work something out with the veteran post player, though.

Nene averaged 9.1 points and 4.2 rebounds while playing only 17.9 minutes per game for the Rockets last season. He previously played for the Denver Nuggets and Washington Wizards during a career that's spanned 15 years.

The 34-year-old Brazil native expressed interest in staying with Houston back in May after an enjoyable first year with the franchise, per Feigen.

"Of course I expect [to be back]," Nene said. "That'll depend on me. I did my job. I just leave it for the coaches, the general manager, my agent. Of course, I'd like to be back. This place was a blessing for me. They brought me back. They brought the real Nene back. When you're happy. When you feel good. When you're engaged, people know you're work, of course you want to be back”

While the Rockets seemingly remain the favorite to land Nene, they'll have to work around the money difference created by the Over 38 Rule. The age guideline was created to prevent teams from signing aging veterans to long-term contracts they might not complete because of retirement.

That said, whether Nene re-signs with Houston or reaches a deal with another team, his role will likely be pretty much the same. He's a 15- to 20-minute contributor off the bench who's capable of filling a short-term void in the starting lineup.