Inside the Brooklyn Nets Draft War Room, a list of players with dollar signs becomes critical

Lenn Robbins, the Nets in-house beat writer, was inside the Nets draft war room Thursday and he writes about he saw, including the key discussion, when the Nets bought the rights to the 44th pick in the Draft.

Robbins tweeted out some of the details (leading to at least one pretender), but in his report on the Nets website, there was far more nitty-gritty He describes the greaseboards, monitors and time clock in the Nets home locker room below Barclays Center.

For most of the first round, there is little movement, a couple of failed feints at trades --not further described-- and then a break at the beginning of the second round.

The Nets have been in discussions with the Timberwolves in recent days and earlier in the night.

Minnesota is willing to part with the 44th pick. The asking price is $1.1 million. The Nets have $2 million to spend under CBA rules.

"One point one?’’ King repeats.

He looks around the room, nodding his approval. The immediate charge of excitement in the room confirms his belief to buy the pick.

Assistant GM, Frank Zanin, is on the phone with a Minnesota official. He repeats the number: one, point, one.

At 11:13, the deal is agreed to. The Nets just became players in the 2014 NBA Draft.

When the Atlanta Hawks use the No.43 pick on center Walter Tavares, there is one player left on the Nets board that has four $ signs next to his name – Oklahoma State guard Markel Brown.

The Nets know they have their man. There are cheers and some applause.

"I said, ‘No quit, didn’t I?’’ says King.

Indeed, say people in the room, the Nets had Markel Brown a lot higher on their internal mock draft, like mid first round higher, which shouldn't be a surprise in a draft where a lot of draftniks thought a pick at, say 22, could be as valuable as one at, say, 44.  On the Nets board, no player had more than four dollar signs. They thought that highly of Brown.

Robbins hints that one of the the two picks at the end of the Draft, Xavier Thames or Cory Jefferson, reached the four $ level as well.

And in one non-draft related note, Robbins noted where Jason Kidd had been just before joining the fray:  "He had just finished taping videos aimed at convincing free agents Paul Pierce, Alan Anderson and Shaun Livingston to return."  No Andray Blatche?

• An Exclusive Look Inside the Nets 2014 Draft Room - Lenn Robbins - Brooklyn Nets
• Nets Jump Into Second Round of NBA Draft - Lenn Robbins - Brooklyn Nets