Lost in the coverage of the Nets' playoff game was Ed Stefanski's report on the status of Nets draft choice Mile Ilic, the 7'2" Serbian center who the Nets GM scouted on Friday in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Ilic's team, FMP Zeleznik, won the Adriatic League's Final 8 Tournament with Ilic shooting 70.5% over the three games.
Ilic would like to join the Nets as early as this summer, but there are complicating factors, one known, the other new. Ilic has a buyout that the Nets will have to help with. In addition, he may very well be invited to try out for the Serbian national team which will defend its world championship in Tokyo this August. Those tryouts begin July 2, which would interfere with the NBA summer league schedule. Even if Ilic made the team, he wouldn't get much time on the court since Nenad Krstic, Darko Milicic and Zeljiko Rebracca are likely to be on the squad.
Here is a summary of what the beat writers had to say about Stefanski's scouting report:
GM Ed Stefanski, back from a European scouting tour, said jewel Mile Ilic may not come for summer league.
"There are also rumors he may be invited for his national team," Stefanski said. "I think the kid would like to come over, but we haven't gotten into talks; there's a buyout situation."
--Fred Kerber, New York Post
General manager Ed Stefanski is back from his European tour, where he had another look at Nets draftee Mile Ilic at the Adriatic Finals. There might be an unexpected snag in the 7-1 center's plans to get a buyout and make it over the pond for summer league.
"There's a rumor that he's going to be invited for tryouts for the (Serbian) national team for the world championships," Stefanski said.
Otherwise, the GM liked what he saw, and reiterated that "if he gets a body, he has a chance to be an NBA player."
--Dave D'Alessandro, Star-Ledger
Mile Ilic, the Nets' second-round pick last season, continues to play in Sebria. Nets general manager Ed Stefanski met with the 7-foot-2 center during a recently completed European scouting trip, and Ilic said he would like to be in New Jersey next season.
"The kid would like to come over, but we haven't gotten into any talks with his team," Stefanski said. "There's a buyout situation ... (we don't know) what his agent wants to do with him. And will he come (for summer league)?"
--Bob Considine, Bridgewater Courier-News