Nenad Krstic knows what the Nets missed during their playoff series loss to the Cavaliers last month: someone who could battle under the basket and give them some kind of interior presence - namely, Krstic himself. But the center had to watch from the bench because of the left ACL injury he suffered in December.

Despite Krstic's expected comeback in time for the start of next season, the Nets are shopping for a big man. They are expected to take one in the draft tomorrow, when they will pick 17th. The Nets do not have a second-round selection.

If they can't find a suitable player in the draft, the Nets could try to swing a deal for an established frontcourt player. If Krstic returns to the form he flashed before tearing his ACL on Dec.22, he'll have no problem retaining his starting role. However, if he gets off to a slow start, his job could be in jeopardy. In addition to whatever new player they might bring in, the Nets are also expected to re-sign Mikki Moore, who played well as Krstic's replacement last season.