NBA Rumors: NJ Nets Have Not Had Talks with Andrei Kirilenko, but They Should

Sometimes rumors involving a particular free agent or trade candidate takes a life of their own to the point that you don't know what's true.

That's the case with free-agent forward Andrei Kirilenko and the New Jersey Nets.

There have been several reports, including one from Emiliano Carchia of sportando.net, that suggest Kirilenko is leaving Moscow to join the New Jersey Nets, where he already has a multi-year deal.

Then there are reports from Sam Amick and Adrian Wojnarowski that suggests the Nets and Kirilenko have never even spoken about a contract.

If the Nets haven't talked to Kirilenko yet, they should do so quickly.

Kirilenko could ask for as much as $9 million per season and several Western Conference teams have shown interest since the lockout ended, including the Sacramento Kings who have the necessary cap room.

The Nets currently have Damion James and Shawne Williams at the small forward spot, so adding Kirilenko could serve as an upgrade and make the Nets a much deeper team.

Kirilenko has also had success in the past playing with Nets point guard Deron Williams and if anything, he makes them better on the defensive end of the floor.

He's been consistent as well, averaging double figures in nine of his 10 NBA seasons.

If the Nets could add Kirilenko and acquire Dwight Howard, they would be more than solid defensively.

Howard may have to wait, but the Nets have a chance to land Kirilenko quickly if they open talks with him.