The Nets committed $335.4 million in new salaries last year, signing, re-signing and trading for 14 players. They also paid out $2.75 million to buy draft picks so they could take Tyshawn Taylor and Toko Shengelia in the second round, added another $850,000 to help Mirza Teletovic and Shengelia buy out their European contracts and sent $4 million in amnesty payments to Travis Outlaw. They had already committed $4.55 million to MarShon Brooks, the only player who was under contract going into the summer.

So that's a final total, according to NetsDaily data, of $347.55 million, a bit more than has been previously reported. And it's not over yet. In July, the luxury tax will come due for this year. Add another $22.6 million, estimates Sam Amick. And yet, writes the USA Today reporter, Prokhorov is still "all in," citing the talks to first acquire Rudy Gay, now Josh Smith.

According to a person familiar with the Nets' strategy, the team's pitch isn't nearly as aggressive as the report indicated. But the fact that they had that conversation with Atlanta shows that Brooklyn may be willing to pay an even steeper price to keep this season from slipping away. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because trade talks are kept private.