NBA Free Agents 2011: Nene Will Have To Wait His Turn to Get Overpaid

If I were in the business of giving athletes advice, I would tell Nene to chillax. He is about to get paid a handsome sum, he will just have to wait until a few other big men get their overpay day. 

It's clear that the market is still sorting itself out on what the going rate for one of the most versatile big men should be. There are a few teams that would love to get their mitts on Nene, but most of them are waiting for some important storylines to play out. 

Here is a telling tweet from ESPN's Marc Stein on the emerging market for Nene:

Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk tweets that Gasol is now off the market, making the Nuggets, Nets and Rockets that much more inclined to offer Nene a huge amount to come play for them.

The Nets are in the middle of courting Dwight Howard to New Jersey. It is no secret that Howard is their number one choice to lead this team into Brooklyn. 

Recent events have Howard keen on staying in Orlando. Reports have Howard rethinking the demands he made to be traded mere days ago. It seems that the best center in the league has had a change of heart, which is a blessing for Nene. 

You have to consider the real possibility that Howard re-signs with the only NBA team he knows. An extension would kill the Nets hope of having Williams promise to stay on long term. The only way to make sure the Nets continue growing instead of crumbling is to get what they can, when they can get it. 

As Howard flip flops and keeps the Nets on a string, there is a real danger that the Nuggets or Rockets swoop in and steal what is considered to be the best player on the open market right now. 

The Nets may be wise to ditch Howard and lock up the sure thing in Nene. He may not be the name, but he has the talent to make the Nets a much better club on both ends of the floor. 

Either way, it's clear that Nene is about to get paid a hefty sum. All he needs to do is sit back and watch the offers pour in. 

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