Nets invite Aussie star Mitch Creek to training camp

Multiple reports out of Australia Friday suggest that Mitch Creek, a 6’5” Aussie star, has reached “some sort of deal” with the Nets. Indeed, a league source confirms that the 26-year-old has been invited to Brooklyn’s training camp on an Exhibit 10 deal, which gives him an opportunity to try out for the team and the Nets his G-League rights should he be cut.

Creek is the the latest “Down Under” acquisition for the Nets who already have five staffers, including Sean Marks, with connections to Australia or New Zealand.

Creek has most recently split time between Adelaide in the Australian league and Wurzberg in the German League, who on Friday gave him the right to pursue his NBA dream. But his other team, the Adelaide 36ers, indicated Saturday that it will seek compensation, perhaps as much as $100,000, from the Nets. Adelaide officials said the request will not keep Creek from joining the Nets.

Here are the first reports out of Australia...

With Creek joining the team as a camp invite, Brooklyn has close to the 20-player maximum allowed during the summer. In addition to 15 players with guaranteed contracts, Theo Pinson, a 6’7” wing, Tyler Davis, a 6’10” center and now Creek have camp invites. Under league rules and Exhibit 10 provisions, an NBA club retains G-League rights to the last three players cut. That would suggest that the Nets are interested in having Pinson, Davis and Creek join the Long Island Nets once the G-League season opens in mid-November.

No word yet on who the Nets like for two-way contracts, a more lucrative deal for prospects and a better deal for the NBA team in that it retains the prospect’s NBA rights. There’s no rush, of course, with training camp not due to open until September 25.

Creek had a tryout with Brooklyn in mid-June but chose to play for the Mavs in Las Vegas where he averaged 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds but failed to hit a three in six tries. Creek is seen as a defensive-minded guard, physically tough and experienced. He is immensely popular in Australia. Two days ago, he wrote of his journey in the Players Voice of Australia.

Last season, he split his time between the German and Australian leagues, averaging 11.9 points in the German league and 14.8 in Australia, where he was named to the All-NBL second team. He also plays for the Australian national team in FIBA competition where he’s averaged 13 points in four games this year. He is not a deep shooter, going 13-of-41 for the three teams, less than 33 percent.

Will Weaver, named as head coach of the Long Island Nets last week, is an assistant coach with the Australian national team, aka the Boomers. His lead assistant on Long Island, Damien Cotter, is Australian and former head coach of the Sydney Kings in Australia’s NBL. Also the Nets newly named director of sports science, Dan Meehan, and director of sports medicine, Les Gelis, are both Australian.

Marks of course was born in New Zealand and played for Team New Zealand for several years.

• Mitch Creek signs with Brooklyn Nets, one step closer towards being 11th Australian in NBA - Kein - Pick & Roll Australia
• Adelaide 36ers seeking compensation from Brooklyn Nets for Mitch Creek exit - Kein - Pick & Roll Australia
• Brooklyn Nets Sign Mitch Creek - Liam Santamaria - NBL
• Australia gets 11th NBA player with Mitch Creek signing with Brooklyn Nets - News Australia
• Mitch Creek signs Exhibit 10 deal with Brooklyn Nets, will attend training camp and compete for contract — sources - Olgun Uluc - FOX Sports Australia