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NBA Free Agency 2017 Player Profile: Nene

By Ti Windisch

Apr 25, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Nene Hilario (42) smiles after making a basket agains the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 25, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Nene Hilario (42) smiles after making a basket agains the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half in game five of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 7, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Nene Hilario (42, right) stands next to head coach Mike D’Antoni at the scorer’s table against the Orlando Magic during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 7, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Nene Hilario (42, right) stands next to head coach Mike D’Antoni at the scorer’s table against the Orlando Magic during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports /

Salary

One of the biggest questions surrounding Nene will be if the Houston Rockets try to sign him right away to another deal. The fit was certainly there for both parties last season, although Daryl Morey is not exactly the most sentimental general manager in the world.

Unfortunately for the player in question, much of the positive Nene did this season will likely be ruled out by a combination of his injury history, age, and most recent affliction, a tear in a groin muscle.

Most 35-year-old centers with streaky injury histories don’t get long contracts, or very lucrative ones. With every team clamoring for wing shooters at the moment, big men like Nene might slip through the cracks, although there seems to be some market for Greg Monroe out there.

All this is to say any team signing Nene to a contract is likely signing him to a deal similar to the one he got last season: one-year, $3 million. Maybe a team option gets thrown in, or a non-guaranteed second or third year, but it’s hard to imagine anybody going crazy to sign Nene this summer.

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