LAS VEGAS — As expected, the Wizards matched the Nets’ offer sheet to Otto Porter Jr., and as expected, general manager Sean Marks missed out on the fourth — and by far the best — restricted free agent target in a year.
It begs the question: Now what?
The Nets are back to being flush with cash and in the market for a wing. They will have to be ready for a quick pivot, and that pivot could take them in the direction of 3-and-D types such as Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or even C.J. Miles.
The Nets had signed Porter to a four-year, $106 million offer sheet and laced it with poison pills, such as a player option, a 15 percent trade kicker and a quarter of his salary being due up front in July and another quarter paid in October.
Despite all of that, after seeing offer sheets to restricted free agents Allen Crabbe, Tyler Johnson and Donatas Motiejunas all matched by their respective teams last season, Marks saw it happen again Saturday night.
The move, confirmed by The Post, will become official once the Wizards schedule and complete Porter’s physical. The Washington Post first reported the deal.
The bulk of the Nets’ $28.3 million in cap space technically will be tied up until that is done. The Wizards have two days to schedule the physical and two more for it to be officially completed, with a source telling The Post they are likely to take all of that allotted time.
Theoretically, the Nets’ cap space won’t be available until Wednesday night. But realistically, the Nets can reach a deal with an unrestricted free agent or talk offer sheets to restricted free agents. Marks can move right on to Plan B. Or C.
After missing out on the top restricted free agent on the market, the Nets are expected to look into the top unrestricted one: Caldwell-Pope.
The shooting guard reportedly turned down a five-year, $80 million deal from Detroit and later was renounced to become an unrestricted free agent. Sources say the Nets are highly unlikely to offer Caldwell-Pope the maximum deal he has been seeking, but would they offer him enough to bring him to Brooklyn?
Caldwell-Pope, 24, averaged 13.8 points per game last season and can defend everything from point guards to small forwards. But he clearly won’t come cheap.
A more cost-effective unrestricted option could be Miles, 30. The small forward averaged 10.7 points on a career-high 41.3 percent shooting from 3-point range last season, hitting 37.8 percent from deep the past five years.
The Timberwolves had tried to foist Cole Aldrich and his $7.3 million salary next season off on the Nets in an attempt to clear space to add Miles, according to KSTP. But the Nets had little interest with the Timberwolves hesitant to attach Oklahoma City’s 2018 first-round pick, which they control.
Now that Minnesota has signed Jamal Crawford, Miles’ market could be drying up. The Nets have at least some interest in Miles and also have been linked with restricted free agents Jonathon Simmons and JaMychal Green and unrestricted Dewayne Dedmon. Chicago restricted free agent Nikola Mirotic could fit the profile as well.
D’Angelo Russell said he found last month’s trade from the Lakers disrespectful and added he has a lot to prove.
“Of course, always something to prove,” Russell told NBATV. “Once you get traded or however it is, you take it how you want to take it, and I took it as a sign of something to prove, disrespectful, however you want to put it. But I always have something to prove at the end of the day to myself not for anybody else.”
Though Russell isn’t playing in summer league, he flew in unexpectedly from Los Angeles. It was a sign of the maturity the Lakers say he lacked, but he’s happy to have a chance to step into a leadership role with Brooklyn.
“Oh, of course,’’ Russell said. “I don’t think you want to step on the court and not try to be a dominant force or player in the league or on your team, so getting an opportunity to be a leader right away is great.”
The Nets still haven’t decided on the second two-way contract.