Nets play money ball

Buy three picks in second round

WHEN ASSETS run dry, there’s always Mikhail Prokhorov’s money.

The Nets bought three second-round picks on Thursday by spending nearly all of their available $2 million, using the 44th overall pick on Oklahoma State guard Markel Brown, No. 59 on San Diego State guard Xavier Thames and No. 60 on Baylor forward Cory Jefferson in the wee hours of draft night at Barclays Center.

Brooklyn, which didn’t have a pick in either round heading into Thursday, wanted to get into the first round, but GM Billy King said it was too pricey.

“There was places we could have gotten in the first round, but we felt the price was too high,” King said. “We could have gotten in the first but we chose not to.”

Instead, the Nets left their home arena with three players who will likely be on their Summer League roster next month. King highlighted the Brown pick, which was acquired from the Timberwolves. Brown, 22, is an athletic guard who averaged 17.2 points and 5.3 rebounds in his senior season with the Cowboys.

“We always want to keep adding athletic players. We did it last year by adding Mason (Plumlee),” King said. “I look at him as a combo guard. I think you have to put your best players on the court.”

If the Nets decide to sign all of their draft choices – which is unlikely — they’ll have 13 players under contract. They also have four pending free agents, most notably Paul Pierce and Shaun Livingston.

The Nets worked out both Thames and Jefferson this week at their practice facility in New Jersey.