B/R: toughest offseason decision for the Brooklyn Nets is franchise direction
The Brooklyn Nets ended the 2022-23 season as a team who made the playoffs despite trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at the February trade deadline. While most teams who trade players the caliber of Durant and Irving would enter an immediate rebuild, Brooklyn did the opposite by playing well enough to hang on to the playoffs and give the fanbase hope for the near future.
The Nets were swept in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs by the Philadelphia 76ers and even though Brooklyn did not win a game, they were in position in win at least two of those games. As the series went on, it became clear that the Nets did not have the star power to be a serious championship contender.
Now that the team is in its offseason stage, Brooklyn has some important decisions to make. Cam Johnson’s restricted free-agency and how Ben Simmons fits into the team’s future are two important matters that need to be addressed in some way this summer. However, before the Nets handle any of their pressing matters, they will have to make a decision on how the organization wants to move forward.
According to Bleacher Report, deciding whether to rebuild or chase a championship is the franchise’s toughest matter this offseason:
“Will the Brooklyn Nets embark on another superstar hunt, sell off veterans for picks or take a middle path toward developing the next contending roster?
The franchise built a scrappy, professional culture and replaced star power with depth before sacrificing all of it for Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and (briefly) James Harden. This offseason, it can decide whether to undertake a similar process.
Brooklyn boasts no stars but has loads of valuable starters and rotation pieces, many of whom are entering the final year of their deals. Spencer Dinwiddie, Joe Harris, Nic Claxton, Royce O’Neale and Patty Mills are all on contracts that expire after 2023-24, and each profile as intriguing salary to send out in a trade. Lump a few together, and the resulting package could appeal to a team with a costly, unwanted player in need of imminent cap relief.”
