The Nets are in an interesting spot. They are a little better than I imagined, but obviously not contenders. Ideally, they should trade for a true #1 to pair with Bridges. But, even with the Suns trade, I'm not sure they have the assets to do so, and they won't have cap space if they resign Cam Johnson. So, what do you do? Do you try to make tweaks to this group, or do you cash in on Bridges, who will fetch a haul?
would be a dream addition Do u think BK would consider an offer of Sengun and most of their picks back?
if the nets are set on starting over rather than being a middle of the pack team with their current roster with little to no assets in their pockets, it's very possible a picks + Sengun type package would be enticing for the nets The nets could very well be fine with just being competitive though as is
I think Brooklyn would consider an offer of all their picks back without needing Sengun to be included
Just checking in on the Nets. They are 10-14 since Bridges got there. They'll probably win tonight and be 11-14. That would put them just outside the play in for either conference right now with a 0.44 win percentage. I guess it depends on how you look at it but it doesn't seem all that competitive despite how great Bridges has been. Will they just run it back? Will they trade all their Suns/Sixers picks to build around Bridges? If they continue at this pace and with their cap situation those Nets picks still have a chance to be pretty good. I wouldn’t toss them into just any deal.
11-14 looked "downright impossible?" No, 22 games in a row without Yao looked downright impossible. I'd say that this looked highly, highly probable.
I think this just shows 25+ is generally when players reach their prime and blow up. Bridges was seen as an elite role player prior to the trade, apparently he is good enough to be a true superstar lol.
Without Durant and Kyrie everyone expected a precipitous drop off and probaly miss the playoffs/play in all together
Yao played in 10 or so of those games. Then moutombo came in and was a rebounding monster after Yao went down.
Building around Bridges will go about as well as Indiana trying to build around Danny Granger in the 00s. (Hint: They didn't have a winning season until Paul George got there, and Granger was traded away shortly afterward.)
Nothing to see here, just Brooklyn adding another player and winning 40-something games again Translation: Brooklyn has fantastic supporting pieces and role players. All it needs to complement, accentuate, and uplift its army of two-way wings is a flamethrowing point guard. Preferably one who can create his own shots, draw two defenders, run effective pick-and-rolls, and balance out the roster, which is desperate for more playmaking. This summer the Nets may have two marquee options. The first is Trae Young. For a variety of reasons that are self-explanatory to anyone who’s watched the Atlanta Hawks play basketball for the past two years, Sean Marks may be unwilling to go down that road. The second is Damian Lillard, who just so happened to be at Barclays Center last week and is also close with Bridges. Lillard’s a top 75 player coming off his best season, and he has proven leadership chops that would enrich Brooklyn’s culture instead of plunging it into acid. Dame’s on-court weaknesses would be hidden in the shrubbery of the long, versatile defense, which can provide exactly what he’s never had all these years in Portland. Brooklyn can move Spencer Dinwiddie to the bench and give itself a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, then unleash Bridges as the capable no. 2 offensive option he’s more suited to being. The Nets don’t have any intriguing young players to offer. What they do have is Ben Simmons’s contract, Patty Mills, four unprotected first-round picks from the Suns, one unprotected first-round pick from the Mavericks, and their own first-round pick in 2029. Blazers fans won’t like my hypothetical trade, but for a team that’s stuck between two separate timelines and could rebuild around Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons, and whoever they get in this year’s draft (Portland has a 10.5 percent chance at landing Victor Wembanyama), it’s pretty damn good. And if Lillard has his eyes set on playing for the Nets—which he should?—Portland will likely acquiesce in favor of other offers that are theoretically more favorable. They’ll do right by the best player in franchise history. https://www.theringer.com/nba/2023/4/24/23695660/nba-lakers-grizzlies-lebron-james-ja-morant
I know what I want to happen (give me Bridges!), but if you are Brooklyn I think it is a challenging choice. Keep status quo, go all-in with a pretty questionable chance at being a legit contender, or enter full rebuild mode. If you are GM of the Nets, and these were your 3 options, what do you do? Option A: No major moves. Borderline luxury tax team looking at a likely .500 winning percentage. Try to keep your team together, and hope the Phoenix picks in the future become your pathway to improvement down the road. Option B: All-in. Trade Phoenix assets for Dame and match offer sheet on Cam with a hefty luxury tax bill on the way. Adding Dame to the core of lots and lots of two-way wings is intriguing, but if it doesn't work you have a lot less flexibility going forward and you paid a lot of money for the chance. Option C: Reset button. Trade away Bridges to the Rockets for all your assets back. Trade away other talented wings and acquire an enviable draft haul, but definitely suck for the immediate future. Gain a set of draft assets that would make OKC jealous, but go into full rebuild mode.
They do not have the assets to get Trae or Dame unless they include Bridges. They will easily get outbid. They are screwed until Simmons comes off the books. What star would want to go to Brooklyn without Bridges. Cam’s a nice player, but they are most likely going to lose him. Somebody will give a front loaded contract to Cam that they won’t be able to match, without extreme cost. They will have to manage a sign and trade without really much leverage at all to get anything in return. Dinwiddie is a nice throw in or bench player, but will not garner anything of value by himself. Claxton is a nice backup center for someone. They are either going to lock into play-in potential until Simmons is gone or go ahead and tank now. Either way our 24 pick will be pretty good, probably in lottery.
