Deadlines and Commitments - No. 102

A lot of NBA executives are on vacation this week, but they're keeping their cell phones charged. Agents are doing the same, but players seem to be getting back into it as camp approaches. The grind is on.

Even before camp opens, there's FIBA. This year, only one Nets player is participating in the national competitions.

So much of the rest of the next month is housekeeping but housekeeping that gets us closer to real basketball. So here it is, with key dates in the schedule highlighted

August 31 to September 17 — Eurobasket 2017 in Turkey. Only, Mozgov is on a FIBA roster. Also, it will be Nets assistant coach Chris Fleming’s last turn as Germany’s national team coach.

August 31 — Last day teams may waive players and apply the stretch provision to their 2017/18 salaries. Unlikely for any of the Nets players, but maybe there’s a free agent out there the Nets would be interested in. Because Nets finished with the league's worst record last year, they have first dibs on any waived player.

September 5 - Nets must renew their offers to any stashed players. As of now, that means Juan Pablo Vaulet and Aleksandar Vezenkov. Not an issue for either.

Late September - Media Day and the opening of training camp end the off-season. No date has been officially set for either, but a number of blogs around the league suggest camp opens for NBA teams on September 26.

Early October - Will Open Practice be held at Barclays, as it was two years ago, or LIU, as it was last year? Don’t know yet. It usually takes place on a weekend afternoon. Bet on October 1. Again, nothing official.

October 1 - Restricted free agents must either accept their team’s qualifying offer or the QO will expire. If they don’t, RFA’s Alex Len, Mason Plumlee, Nikola Mirotic and JaMychal Green will have no contract (and no paychecks), but their rights will be retained by their old teams. That’s what happened with Donatas Motiejunas last year.

October 3 - Nets open preseason at MSG vs. the Knicks. All preseason games start at 7:30.

October 5 - Nets return to Barclays Center for the first time since April, playing the Heat in Brooklyn.

October 8 - In the premier preseason game, the Knicks come to Brooklyn for the first time in 2017-18. The two teams play six times between preseason and regular season.

October 11 - The Nets and 76ers travel to Nassau Coliseum for the Nets final preseason game. The renovated Coliseum, owned by Mikhail Prokhorov's Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, is home to the Long Island Nets.

October 16 - Teams must get down to 17 players, 15 on NBA contracts, two on two-way deals. As the team with the worst record last season, the Nets will have first shot at waived players, but they must have an open spot themselves.

October 18 - The Nets open their 2017-18 regular season vs. the Pacers at the Bankers Life Field House in Indianpolis.

October 20 - The Nets open at home vs. the Magic at Barclays Center.

October 21 - NBA G League Draft. It’s not like the NBA Draft. It has different rules and is held via conference call.

October 27 - Nets play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, the rivalry’s first regular season game.

October 31 - Spencer Dinwiddie’s salary guarantees at $250,000 for 2017-18 (Action will likely take place before regular season opens and deadline likely earlier since contract was signed when regular season started on October 31.)

October 31 - Nets must exercise rookie options for Brandon Russell (fourth year) Rondae-Hollis Jefferson (fourth year) and Caris LeVert (third year). Obviously, not an issue.

November 3 - The Nets and D’Angelo Russell travel to L.A. to open a five-game West Coast trip vs. the Lakers. Russell’s first game back in Los Angeles.

November 10 - Allen Crabbe returns to Portland for the first time.

November 4 - Long Island Nets will open their first season at their new home, the renovated Nassau Coliseum, vs. the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. They will play one preseason game as well, at Nassau vs. the Westchester Knicks. No date has been announced for that yet.

November 19 - The Nets welcome NBA champion Golden State Warriors to Barclays.

November 23-24 - FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers. Nets stash Aleksandar Vezenkov leads Bulgaria into the next to final step for the Lions to make the World Cup list.

December 7- The Nets play the Thunder in Mexico City as part of NBA Global Games.

December 9 - The Nets play the Heat in Mexico City as part of NBA Global Games.

December 14 - The Nets play the Knicks at Barclays Center.

December 15 - DeMarre Carroll returns to Toronto for the first time.

January 10 - All partially and non- guaranteed deals become fully guaranteed, specifically in the Nets case for Dinwiddie if he remains with the team.

January 15 - The Nets play the Knicks at Barclays.

January 30 - The Nets play the Knicks at MSG.

February 2 - Brook Lopez returns to Barclays Center