No team pivots quite like the Brooklyn Nets when a star-studded era flames out. Instead of a lengthy, grueling rebuild in the aftermath of the Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Deron Williams era, Brooklyn was able to get back to being a playoff team after missing out for three years in a row. While the future isn’t as bleak right now as it was back then, the Nets once again find themselves in a spot where they have to sort themselves out following the end of a superteam.
This situation is not nearly as bad. Brooklyn has a whole bunch of draft capital coming its way from the trades that sent out Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving, and in Mikal Bridges, the team has the sort of building block that just did not exist the last time it had to navigate this situation. While the future of Cam Johnson has to be sorted out, the team has a ton of the switchy, three-and-D wings that other teams covet, along with a handful of experienced players who can help them see through the next year or two.
Will they resist the urge to try and cash in some chips in an effort to bring a star to Brooklyn? Who knows. But in the lead-up to the 2023 NBA Draft, the Nets have back-to-back picks as 21 and 22, which give them the opportunity to continue to bolster their roster, particular with no 2024 picks in their war chest right now.
Roster Needs: Youth in the backcourt, center help, playmaking
Noah Clowney (No. 21 overall), B: This is a solid value for Clowney, especially from an upside perspective. His defensive potential is clear with his length, athleticism, and feel, and Clowney has the potential to shoot and space the floor on offense. If the shooting doesn’t pop, he may be a center with some overlap next to Nic Claxton, but this is the point of the draft where you can simply take the best player available. Clowney is a reasonable bet on that.
Dariq Whitehead (No. 22 overall), A-: While the medical talking point of the draft was Cam Whitmore’s fall, Whitehead’s pre-draft process was marked by medical questions. He was limited during the season and then had another surgical procedure when the season ended. If the medical is clear, though, Whitehead is a former top-five high school prospect in this class, and he is a worthy risk for Brooklyn.
2023 Free Agents:
Cam Johnson (RFA)
Seth Curry (UFA)
David Duke Jr. (UFA)
LaMarcus Aldridge (UFA)
Wilson Chandler (UFA)
Yuta Watanabe (UFA)
Dru Smith (Two-Way)
Roster:
Ben Simmons
Mikal Bridges
Spencer Dinwiddie
Joe Harris
Dorian Finney-Smith
Nic Claxton
Royce O’Neale
Patty Mills
Cam Thomas (Team Option)
Edmond Sumner
Day’Ron Sharpe (Team Option)
Alondes Williams (Two-Way)
RaiQuan Gray (Two-Way)