The 2014-2015 Net season is thankfully over and all things
considered they did what we expected, make the playoffs and lose in round one.
Maybe there was some hope early in the year that they could be a second round
team but injuries early on and bad play changed the expectations for this team.
The Nets head into the first off season of doom they don’t have their own first
round draft pick until 2019!! And they have two very bad contracts. So how do
the Nets succeed next year and into the future? They follow these steps.
The
main goal GET DRAFT PICKS. The Nets keep saying they will compete in 2 years
when they have a lot of cap room and they are wrong! They will have cap room
but they won’t compete, in order to compete you need a foundation and you build
that foundation through the draft and the Nets don’t have enough of a
foundation to compete. Why would a big free agent after next year want to come
to Brooklyn? They can get the money elsewhere and compete which isn't something
that is happening in Brooklyn. Also is Lionel Hollins attractive? The Nets are
an unattractive destination for free agents at the moment because they aren't
good. If the Nets want free agents they need a foundation and the only way to
get that foundation leads me to my first off season step…
1.
Sign
and Trade Brook Lopez
This may not make sense but let me explain Brook Lopez’s stock is at an
all-time high he’s a 7 foot center that is lethal on the offensive end and he
is also a good rim protector. He’s also 27 he’s going to opt out of his
contract and he would like to return to Brooklyn and it would make sense for
the Nets to resign him but he’s their only major assist and their only chance
to start a new foundation. Also if
you’re the Nets do you want to give a center with two major foot surgeries a
big contract? You let another team do it and if Lopez turns out great you deal
with it because if you resign him what does he do for you? WOO another year at
40 wins! No free agent in the future is lining up to play with Brook Lopez. The
Nets can give Lopez the most money of any team so a sign and trade would make
sense the question is who would sign and trade for him and what would it cost?
The Nets would have to take back a big contract to match up with Lopez but most
importantly the Nets would have to receive a draft pick and/or young players.
For example the Pacers want to get rid of Roy Hibbert who has one year left on
his contract and would love to replace him with a center of Lopez’s caliber.
Let’s say the trade is Lopez for Hibbert 2016 first round pick and 2019 first
round pick? Maybe the Nets can only get one pick out of the deal but it’s a
deal you consider. Would Charlotte do a
similar deal including Big Al? (Last year of contract) Denver is a team that
likes Lopez maybe the Nets trade Lopez for JJ Hickson, Wilson Chandler, young
player and Pick? Again this idea isn’t about next year it’s about the long
term. Signing Lopez long term just doesn’t make the Nets better in 2 or 3 years
which should be the goal.
2.
What
to do with Thad Young
This is a tricky situation because if you sign and trade Lopez what is
the point of resigning Thad Young? He’s a very good role player so if you sign
and trade Lopez you should probably do the same for Thad Young although that
would be a lot harder to pull off (probably impossible to pull off). If I am
the Nets I sign Young to a contract that is no longer than 3 years and if he
wants more he can walk he doesn't fit into the plan. Thad Young is a good
player and if the Nets decide to resign Lopez they should resign Thad Young but
according to my plan they should sign and trade him or be very careful with his
contract. (Random thought I don’t like the way he runs… he had a couple of
scares with his knees and ankle with the Nets this year, I would be careful
because of that)
3.
Brooklyn
Back Court
What to do with Joe Johnson and Deron Williams… Both looked finished this
past season and they make sooooo much money next year. Joe Johnson 24 million
Deron Williams 21 million next year and 22 million the year after. Best case
might be to have those contracts run out and be happy with the cap space but
Brooklyn should explore the market, Joe Johnson might be expendable if the
right team comes around the Nets would probably have to take a contract that
runs past next year but if they get some picks out of the trade it’s something
to consider. Most likely they will be on the Nets next year and if Joe Johnson
can rebound next year he could become a good trade chip at the deadline for
Brooklyn.
4.
Role
players
Alan Anderson and Mirza are both free agents Mirza will be offered a
qualifying offer which would allow the Nets to match any offer. Now I love me
some Mirza but the same thing applies to him as Thad Young, accept a 3 year
deal and if not you let him walk. As for Alan Anderson… thanks for your
services but you’re no longer need. Anderson was one of Brooklyn’s best players
the last two months of the year and he earned himself a nice free agency he is
a good role player on a contender, but the Nets have Markel Brown and he needs
to play more and Anderson is blocking his growth.
5.
Draft
The Nets have the 29th and 41st pick in the draft.
The Nets should use both picks unless they have the opportunity to move up, if
they have that chance they should do it. But you do NOT trade a pick to move
Joe Johnson, Deron Williams or Jarrett Jack. A positive for the Nets heading
into the draft is that they have Billy King… Yeah you read that right since the
move to Brooklyn Billy King’s draft resume has been pretty good (trades with
these picks no) but when he actually uses the picks he’s been pretty good. He
got Mason Plumlee with the 22nd pick which was a good pick and he
also got Markel Brown in the second round, Brown was one of two rookies who
started in the playoffs this year. At the moment Draft Express have the Nets
taking George Lucas point guard in the first round.
6.
Mini
mid-level
The Nets do have their mini mid-level exception to sign a free agent, the
Nets will be over the cap so this is their only chance to sign a free agent. (Outside
of players taking the league minimum) The most they can offer a player is 3 years at
10.5 million the focus should be on a young player so who can they sign?
KJ McDaniels wing player- he’s young but restricted if the Nets offer the
full 3 years 10.5 maybe the Rockets pass but I think they match but it’s worth
a shot.
Cory Joseph point guard - he is also young and also restricted but the
Spurs might let him go if he is offered the full 3 years because they are
rumored to be in play for a big free agent and they need cap room.
Matthew Dellavedova point guard- he is also restricted and Cleveland will
most likely match any offer but I am one of the leaders of the Dellavedova fan
club and if he became a Net I would throw my own parade down Flatbush. Again
unlikely this happens but try it!
Justin Holiday guard- giving
Holiday the full mini might be too much but he is an undrafted free agent who
crack the Warriors rotation at times during the year he might be a player you
take a chance on, it’s a high risk type of deal because you don’t know what is
potential is.
Some overseas guy- The Nets used the mini to bring over Mirza and Bojan
(Even though Bojan was drafted I never got that) but there are talented free
agents overseas which the Nets could use the mini on I don’t know any of them
but I’m sure the Nets do (I think, okay probably not) but still an overseas guy
is worth the mini contract.
7.
Markel
Brown
The Nets need to take Brown hostage take him to an island lock him in a
gym with two basketballs and a shotgun (not an actually gun the shooting
machine thing) and make him shoot 500 threes a day. If Brown can hit three
consistently he can become a good NBA player.
8.
Jarrett
Jack
Now we all aren't fans of Jarrett Jack but he is on an expiring deal so
there’s a chance he can be traded and if the Nets can swap an expiring contract
for an expiring contract that’s fine but if they trade Jarrett Jack you don’t
send a pick or a young player with him. If the Nets keep Jack until the
deadline they might be able to trade him for something decent.
Once again the goal is to get younger and get picks for the future who
cares about next year? The focus should be getting better long term not in in
2015-2016.
But this is something the Nets probably won’t do, so what will they do?
Resign Lopez and Young try to trade Johnson and Williams but they’ll fail at it
and they’ll use the mini to sign someone they probably shouldn't. WOOOO Nets
basketball!!!
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everything Nets and NBA follow @threwthenet on twitter.
