Nets rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson takes in two roommates to help pay New York-area rent

Brooklyn Nets rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson discovered what a lot of new college transplants find out when they first come to the New York-metro area — it costs a lot to live here.

Even with a first year salary of $1.33 million, the NBA forward called rent rates in and around the city “ridiculous” and told the Wall Street Journal that he had to take on two roommates to avoid blowing his paycheck on a place to stay.

“You can live in a nice, three-bedroom condo with all that in Dallas for like two thousand bucks,” the former University of Arizona player told the paper. “Three bedroom, three-bathroom in New York, you’re paying eight grand. It’s ridiculous.”

Hollis-Jefferson currently lives in Northern New Jersey with his brother, Rahlir — who plays in the D-League and Europe — and a friend. He told the Journal that he’s thinking of moving to Brooklyn when the Nets move their practice facility there.

“People know they can talk to me about anything,” he said. “But when it comes to money, I’m like, ‘I don’t have it.’ That’s my go-to line.”

To some extent, that is true. His first paycheck, while larger than any he had ever received, still fell short of expectations.

“When I saw the check, I saw half of the money was gone,” Hollis-Jefferson said, referring to the taxes and other dues extracted from his paycheck. “And being in New York, more than half was gone. I was like, ‘Who do I call here? What’s going on?’ ”

Guess we'll be seeing the NBA rook on a lot of NJ Transit buses and subway trains until the next move.