So was Kevin Martin Shot lights out Shifty as hell Drew a ton of fouls he was a poor man’s harden. Harden was Kevin Martin on steroids…
If I'm Stone, I'm offering the Nets their 2024 pick back, for Pho 25, 27, 29. It might be asking too much, but what is the value to Brooklyn of guaranteeing themselves a top 5 pick. If Brooklyn tanks the hardest they may even end of with the #1 overall pick. It's the only way Brooklyn can control their destiny next season. It may seem like Brooklyn is overpaying, but then again, they look poised to just give us a top 10 pick next season. If Alpi is worth 2 heavily protected 1sts at the 16th pick, it may not be crazy to ask for 3 unprotected picks for guaranteed 5 pick. Maybe a compromise would be for Phoenix's 23, 27, 29 picks.
I’ve been thinking of this too. You put it well - that 2024 pick is a top 5 pick if Brooklyn controls it and they are free to rebuild like they should. A guaranteed top 5 pick is definitely worth 3 unprotecteds from PHX (and more honestly). Only the 2029 PHX pick has real upside anyway, and that’s 6 years from now - has to be hugely discounted vs today. As long as we control it BKN doesn’t tank, so it’s not worth that much (and we don’t need more young players) - it’s be better for us to have the PHX picks to use in future trades. I think it’s rational for them to do, but I don’t think the humans in charge would ever do it because it’s the same people who traded the picks away in the Harden deal in the first place. So it would make them look bad to give up so much to get them back. Their fans would riot.
Yeah, we could even parlay 2 of the Phoenix picks to OKC in exchange for our 2024 pick back. I must admit, I thought our rebuild would be further along. Then again, maybe we should sign some free agents or use Phoenix's picks to trade for a star and get off the tanking ferris wheel. Either way, doing business with Brooklyn opens a lot of options that both pro-tankers and anti-tankers can debate over. Heck, maybe we can diversify our portfolio and get some Mavs picks. I'll bet against Kyrie anytime.
No from me on getting our 2024 pick back - we’re not in the same situation as Brooklyn. We’re full up on lottery-level prospects, they have zero. Also the pick is protected 1-4. If we risk giving OKC the 8th or 9th pick in a weak draft - whatever. I like the path of diversifying the picks via Brooklyn, trading the LAC pick this year for a couple future picks, improving the team via free agency, and go into the next two years as play-in level developmental seasons with the leagues biggest stockpile of 2025-2029 pick assets and young players with positive buzz (like where OKC and ORL are now). Then aim to be truly competitive with a 22-26yo core after that, and in prime position to strike on additional star(s) via trade or free agency.
Yeah, I'm not down with this plan to continue the tank and give OKC more assets to do it .... I've been more understanding and tolerant of the tank for the past three seasons than most - But it has to end here, at the end of this season. They will have had three drafts to pick players in the top 5 and cleared their cap situation to arguably the best in the league going forward along with having a large pile of assets - both picks and players available to trade. It's time to pivot. Losing is no longer an option.
Had a lot of hidden gems, that was an excellent roster around Yao. Scola, Lowry, Brooks, Landry, Martin were all a inch below All Star players that played perfectly in Adelman's system. I feel like add an All NBA player that roster and you are a contender
the 2024 draft is already widely viewed as very weak, so I doubt BK will be eager to get their pick back to proceed on a tank job that year and then the very next year is a swap with the Rockets
Not sure BKN has much of a choice though. They have basically zero real prospects on their roster. Claxton is a UFA after next season who they can't extend, so he'll be making $25M/season soon, and Cam Thomas is a fringe guy who had a 2 week hot streak. 2025 is also supposed to be weak anyways. Trading into the top of this draft will be impossible too. Maybe they could get up to the 5-10 range by packaging their future mid picks, but that part of this year's draft is also weak. IMO, if they want to rebuild their only path to high level young talent is via trading for their own picks back and tanking a couple seasons while Simmons' contract runs down IMO. I still doubt they do it though unless they get a new GM. Marks won't swallow that bitter pill. I think a new unbiased GM wouldn't hesitate to throw their failed era under the bus and do what needs to be done. Also, what's underreported (I think) is the vibes in Brooklyn. They're bad. The fans don't like coach, most of the guys there have no affinity to the organization and are getting less playing time than they should, Ben Simmons is the bad vibes king, and there aren't actually many Nets fans to begin with. Unexpected stuff could happen with that organization.
They just put up 15 in the first against Boston. Down 20+ already. They have no offensive engine. Defensive role players forced to play creator, lose energy for defense. This team will struggle big time.
Best part of the trade was seeing Bridges unleashed. Almost Harden like. And definitely would take Bridges over Harden 10/10 this off-season
