Nets “work out” Jared Sullinger; agent says he’s looking into “opportunity”

Jared Sullinger, who last played for Toronto, is in Brooklyn for a workout. The 6’9” C/PF was pictured with fellow Ohio State product —and close friend— D’Angelo Russell in a tweet posted early Tuesday.

The man in the middle is unidentified, but he’s wearing Isaiah Whitehead gear.

There’s no indication yet that the Nets are interested in signing the 25-year-old, but they have two open roster spots. Sullinger’s agent, David Falk, told Stefan Bondy that Sullinger wants to play for Brooklyn.

"I'm a big fan of the coach (Kenny Atkinson)," Falk told The Daily News. "He's a great motivator, and they have a great facility.

"(Sullinger) is a talented big man and we're looking into an opportunity"

The Nets are certainly in need of another big man, with only two players taller than 6’8.” And Sullinger certainly qualifies as a big. He’s played five seasons in the league at the 4 and 5 and that was after two dominant seasons as a Buckeye, which in turn followed a five-star high school career in Ohio.

Toronto gave Sullinger a one-year, $6 million contract last summer, but he suffered a broken foot after playing only 11 games and at the deadline, was traded to the Suns, who released him.

Sullinger didn’t play competitively again until this summer, when he was approached to join the group of Buckeye alumni trying to win the $2 million, winner-take-all prize at the The Basketball Tournament. Part of the TBT was played at LIU. Trajan Langdon, Sean Marks’ deputy, scouted Sullinger.

At the time, he told reporters of his interest in the Nets.

Sullinger’s big problem —and big advantage— has been his bulk, which he’s admitted got out of control, ballooning to 320 pounds at the end of the 2015-16 season. In interviews around the TBT, he said he’s now at 285 ... and has become a vegan.

Sullinger told ND’s Bryan Fonseca last month that he’s been humbled, and will be better off as a result, no matter what happened with the Nets.

“Oh for sure,” he responded when asked if he had grounded himself. “Overall as a human being, not just basketball. Things I used to do, I don’t do anymore. I’m all about self-discipline and self-reflection. At the end of the day you have to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and understand what you did was wrong.”

Sulllinger added that he realized he couldn’t keep fooling himself.

“With nobody watching, sometimes I just brushed it off,” he said, talking about his conditioning. “Now when nobody is watching, and I’ve done something wrong, I look at myself in the mirror and say ‘hey, I made a mistake.’”

Sullinger spent most of his career with the Celtics after being drafted by them 21st overall in 2012. For his career, the Columbus, Ohio native has averaged 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds in 269 games, 172 of them starts. He owns a 27.2 percent career shooting average from the three-point line and seemed comfortable shooting it in the TBT.

It’s also possible there are other players working out at HSS. Last year at this time, the Nets worked out P.J. Hairston, Kendall Marshall and Jorge Gutierrez ... without signing any of them.

• Jared Sullinger’s agent says free agent ‘exploring the opportunity’ of signing with Nets - Stefan Bondy - New York Daily News
• Jared Sullinger worked out with the Nets, D'Angelo Russell - Bryan Kalbrosky - Hoopshype
• Nets work out unemployed former Ohio State big man - Brian Lewis - New York Post