Brooklyn Nets Offseason Review: Spinning Wheels

Will Sean Marks ever get to build a contender?

Offseason capsules for all 30 teams with thoughts on the good and the bad.

TL;DR BROOKLYN NETS

• I was worried they were going to try and jump the line but they held back

• Drafted five rookies Egor Demin #8, Nolan Traoré #19, Drake Powell #22, Ben Saraf #26, Danny Wolf #27

• Traded Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 1st round pick

• Re-signed Day’Ron Sharpe and Ziaire Williams

• Still waiting to re-sign Cam Thomas after extending QO

ADDITIONS

• MPJ was a great gamble.

  • He’s got two years left on the contract for a player in his prime who despite injury concerns has played more games than Johnson the last three seasons and is motivated to expand his game.

  • It’s a great leverage position if Cam Thomas signs the qualifying offer. The Nets can point to MPJ being a more well-rounded volume shooter who has actually won in this league.

  • MPJ will put up numbers to help sell tickets while not hurting their long-term trajectory towards contention. He’ll either be a great expiring contract for 2027 at the deadline or a complimentary piece around whatever star they aim for at the deadline or next summer.

  • They lost the better player in Johnson in terms of winning impact and versatility, but they more than make up for it with the 2032 pick when Jokic will be 37 and likely riding a chariot in Sombor.

  • They missed their chance to get premium draft assets for Johnson at the deadline, overplaying their hand a touch.¹

• The five draft picks was probably a little much.

  • If you take four swings in a good draft and walk away with two starter-caliber players, you’ve done well. They need Demin to hit. Like, hit. It’s a big gamble on a guy who was divisive among draft consultants and personnel executives going in.

  • But if you’re planning another season like last year, would you rather have first-rounders or G-Leaguers developing?

LOSSES

• Johnson is a loss in asset and overall contributions, but he also wasn’t spectacular in Brooklyn. He’s a complimentary player, and they had no one for him to compliment.

• Overall, with their comings and goings, I have them worse by about a half-point per game. I don’t know how to project internal development because I don’t know who they played last year that will get time this year beyond Thomas, who is still unsigned. It’s rough, though I will say I really liked how all their guys played and upgraded my estimation on guys like Noah Clowney, Jalen Wilson, and Tyrese Martin.