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After holding off on signing Moe Wagner for nearly a month, the Nets finally officially added the veteran big man Friday.
Brooklyn not only committed the lion’s share of its remaining cap space to Wagner, but signaled the end of any pursuit of high-priced free agents. The move won’t prevent them from extending Michael Porter Jr., but does significantly cut into how much of a raise they could theoretically give their leading scorer.
Upon trading away Nic Claxton to upgrade to two-time All-NBA forward Julius Randle, the Nets created a hole at center. Day’Ron Sharpe steps in as the presumptive starter, but after watching centers strike it big with hefty contracts — from Walker Kessler to Mitchell Robinson — Brooklyn opted for the bargain route.
The Nets had agreed to a two-year, $19 million deal with Wagner, but took weeks to formalize it. It’s no coincidence that the contract neatly fit into the Room Mid-Level Exception, so Brooklyn could have exhausted the rest of its $14 million in cap space on either free agents or trades, then fit Wagner into the MLE.
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