Nets to sign veteran forward Najera
Free-agent forward Eduardo Najera will sign a four-year, $12 million contract with the New Jersey Nets, a league source with knowledge of the negotiations said.
Najera’s agreement comes one day after the Nets reached agreement with free-agent swingman Jarvis Hayes on a two-year, $4 million deal.
Najera and Hayes are both represented by Dan Fegan, who has a strong relationship with Nets GM Kiki Vandeweghe. They got together on several players, including Kenyon Martin and Nene, when Vandeweghe helped run the Denver Nuggets. Fegan also represents new Net Yi Jianlian.
Najera, who turned 32 on Friday, is an eight-year veteran who spent the past 3½ seasons in Denver. The physical forward also developed into a three-point threat last season, making 36.1 percent of his attempts.
As the Nets begin rebuilding with a core of young players, Najera and Hayes should help strengthen the team’s bench. The Nets valued Hayes’ scoring potential and athleticism.
Hayes, 26, played for the Detroit Pistons last season after spending four years with the Washington Wizards, where he had been a lottery pick in 2003. He averaged a career-low 6.7 points in the regular season, and played a diminished role in the playoffs, appearing just once in the Pistons’ six-game Eastern Conference finals loss to the Boston Celtics.
Still, Hayes has a three-point touch and the ability to defend the perimeter that intrigued several contenders, including the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns.
