Tuesday, April 24, 2018

2018-19 Brooklyn Nets

2017-18: 28-54
Draft picks: 22,40,49
Signed for next season ($84.3m): SG Allen Crabbe, C Timofey Mozgov, PF Demarre Carroll, PG Jeremy Lin, PG D'Angelo Russell, PF Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, C Jarrett Allen, SG Caris LaVert, PG Spencer Dinwiddie, PG Isiah Whitehead (2-way: )

This summer's free agents: Jahlil Okafor, Nik Stauskus, Dante Cunningham, Quincy Acy, Joe Harris,
Milton Doyle, Jacob Wiley, James Webb.
I think the Nets made it pretty clear they had no interest in even trying to be interested in Okafor or Stauskus. Harris and Acy have had nice moments and could be useful low cost back of the rotation guys, Cunningham too (or he may be done). Doyle, Wiley and Webb are on 2-way contracts (funny sidenote: they also did my dad's taxes last year).

They still don't have a lottery pick (man, how long has it been?) but they do have three mid-range picks. I saw a mock draft that had them taking Jalen Brunson (Villanova), Devonte Graham (Kansas) and Hamadou Diallo (Kentucky); I have no idea if any of those guys will be useful to the Nets but might as well stick with blue blood programs, at least the kids will be ready for big time basketball.

And in free agency they really don't have a lot of money to spend (and who would want to go there anyway?). I suspect most of their cash goes to a handful of bench guys with one decent free agent: Danny Green, maybe, or Austin Rivers (will he want to stay in LA if they fire his dad?). Could they overpay Rudy Gay or Kosta Koufos or Kyle O'Quinn? Maybe. At any rate, there's no veteran rolling in to lead Brooklyn to the promised land any time soon, nor will they have a rookie sensation ready to blow up. I made the suggestion that the Mavericks should chase a bevy of recent draft busts to see if they can reform them, I guess I'd make the same suggestion to the Nets. Next summer they'll be back in the draft and they'll have money to spend. For now, they need to just give Russell, Crabbe, Hollis-Jefferson, LaVert and Allen pressure-free time to play ball. Not only is there no reason to think they'll be good next year--there's no reason for them to actually be good next year!

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