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David Pick, the European-based basketball writer, has six more names of free agents who are reportedly attending the Nets mini-camp this week, including Duke's Quinn Cook and the American star of the New Zealand pro league.
Source: Brooklyn Nets mini camp invites include - Quinn Cook, Alex Stepheson, Scotty Hopson, Jerrelle Benimon, and Alex Kirk.
— David Pick (@IAmDPick) May 24, 2016
McKenzie Moore, lead MVP candidate of the New Zealand NBL, has been invited to the Nets and Mavs mini camps.
— David Pick (@IAmDPick) May 25, 2016
Cook, who played four years at Duke, appears to be the biggest name of the group ... and the biggest name other than Anthony Bennett reported thus far.
The 6'2" Cook was point guard for the Blue Devils' national championship squad in 2015 and after going undrafted --and being cut by the Cavaliers in training camp-- chose to play for the D-League's Canton Charge, winning the D-League Rookie of the Year this season ... and garnering third team All-D-League honors. He averaged 19.6 points and 5.4 assists to go with 3.9 rebounds in 43 games while shooting 47 percent from the field and connecting on a team-high 86 three-pointers. He was regarded as one of the top --if not the top-- NBA prospect in the D-League by season's end.
The other four, like a number of other players whose names have been released, are U.S.-born veterans who've spent time overseas.
--Alex Stepheson, 28, played at USC and North Carolina before spending time in Greece, Slovenia and Turkey, then returning to the D-League's Iowa Energy. The 6'10" PF had 10-day tours with the Clippers and Grizzlies. He was named first team All-D-League, averaging 15.7 points, 13.3 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 34.3 minutes in 26 games,
--Scotty Hopson, 26, has played in Greece, Israel, Turkey, Spain and most recently China A 6'7" SF, he also had a brief tour with the Cavaliers in 2014 before being traded, the first time to Charlotte, then to New Orleans, Houston and Sacramento, which cut him. He started out last season in Foshan, China, averaging 22.1 points and 5.6 rebounds. He's a Tennessee product.
--Alex Kirk, 24, is a 7-footer with NBA experience, playing seven games with the Cavaliers in 2014-15 in between assignments to the Canton Charge. The New Mexico product was traded to the Knicks in January 2015 in the J.R. Smith - Iman Shumpert deal, then cut two days later. He played this season in Italy for Pistola, averaging 16 points and 7.6 rebounds, shooting 52.7 percent overall and 38 percent from deep.
--Jerrelle Benimon, 24, is another big who played in China this past season. A 6'8" stretch 4, Benimon averaged 25 points per game, shooting nearly 40 percent from thee. After playing collegiately at Georgetown for two years, he transferred to Towson. Although not drafted in 2014, he hooked up with the Idaho Stampede where he averaged 19.8 points and 11 rebounds. He was All-D-League first team before heading to China.
--McKenzie Moore, 24, is a 6'6" California-bred SG who played at UTEP in Texas, then moved to New Zealand after a tryout with the Bucks. Moore played for two NZ NBL teams last two seasons sandwiched around a tour in Belgium. He averaged better than 20 points for both Nelson and Canterbury and shot 40.4 percent from deep this season.
As noted Tuesday night, the full list of invitees hasn't been released. So far, 11 names have been gleaned from social media, mainly the Twitter accounts of Pick, Michael Scotto and Moke Hamilton. The three day tryout ends Wednesday. The Nets are likely to offer some of those they worked out summer league spots. The Nets play in Las Vegas this July. The Nets are also no doubt looking for prospects to play for the Long Island Nets.