<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Nenad Krstic is upset that he won’t play in the NBA this season, but the one-time Nets’ cornerstone player promises to be back. “That’s my plan,” said Krstic, who signed a two-year deal with Triumph in Moscow on Monday. “I’m going to try to play really good in Russia and see what’s going to happen.” ------------------------------- Nothing materialized, although team president Rod Thorn said the Nets were close to doing something. The Bulls contemplated giving up a $5.2 million trade exception and a future first-rounder in a sign-and-trade but needed more time. Krstic didn’t have that. The Nets also talked to the Grizzlies and Heat. Krstic got an offer of three years for $15 million from Cleveland. But the Triumph deal �" considering today’s exchange rate and that it’s tax-free would be worth about $20 million annually if Krstic stays both years �" trumped all. “I was upset because nobody really offered me something good,” Krstic said from Russia before boarding an plane for Beijing. “I was ready to take less money and stay in the NBA, but nobody really offered me something.” “I didn’t want that,” Krstic said of the Cleveland deal. “When you look at big guys in the NBA, they signed really big contracts. I know I am on that level. I know I’m healthy right now. I took that like disrespect. To accept that offer from an NBA team only because it’s an NBA team, I didn’t want to do that.”</div> Krstic says he'll play in the NBA again - Al Iannazzone, NorthJersey.com <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>But the Nets' president disagreed with Krstic's opinion that the medical staff made mistakes with his rehab from reconstrcutive knee surgery. "That's not correct," Thorn said. "I think players react differently. He had a major injury. Every professional athlete reacts differently. I think [strength and conditioning coach] Rich [Dalatri] and [athletic trainer] Timmy [Walsh] are among the best in the business. So I don't think that's correct at all." ------------------------ When asked if the Nets felt they could have done anything differently with Krstic, Thorn said, "No, not unless we wanted to pay him what he wanted. He showed in the two months before the injury two years ago what he could do, but that was one-third of the year. Our feeling was we weren't willing to pay at the level he wanted. We did try to some sign-and-trades. We came close." They have no roster space to take back players and are in the process of trying to get rid of some of their bigs.</div> The President on Krstic - Al Iannazzone - In the 'Zzone Disrespect? Does he realize he played like shit this past season? And I don't see how you can blame confidence issues on the trainers. That's some BS. I don't know why he expects everyone to treat him like a star all of a sudden. He played good for 2 months, went down with an injury, and we haven't seen the same Nads since. I'm surprised we got those offers from the Cavs and Bulls. Oh, and I guess it turns out we wouldn't be getting Nocioni. The 1st rounder does sound nice. Especially if it turned out to be for next season - because with the way they are now, I can't really see them competing for anything other than ping pong balls next season (along with us). Btw, I wonder what we would've gotten had Nenad wanted to go to Cleveland. I don't really see anyone worth trading for on that team.
I thought I read somewhere that the best offer was in the $2-3mm range per year. I forgot where. If I find it later I'll post a link. I think he thinks he's worth Bogut or Okafor type money.
