The Brooklyn Nets will have a lot of big decisions to make in the offseason. After an embarrassing first-round series against the Celtics, in which they got convincingly swept and outperformed by Boston, the Nets are no longer in the playoffs.
The Nets will want to assemble a team around Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons for next season, one that could win the NBA championship.
The Brooklyn Nets will have to look inwards before they can begin recruiting. The Nets have 7 free agents this offseason, many of whom proved to be key players during their season.
Their free agents include Nic Claxton and David Duke Jr. who are restricted, and Goran Dragic, Andre Drummond, Bruce Brown, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Blake Griffin who are unrestricted free agents.
The Nets will most likely bring back Bruce Brown, as he performed well during the regular season, and was arguably their best player during the first-round series against the Celtics.
Nic Claxton and Andre Drummond could also return, as the Nets do need strong, physically imposing players for the center position. But given Claxton’s poor free-throw shooting, something that is already a problem with Ben Simmons, his return is not guaranteed.
Given how little Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge played last season, it is fair to expect them to leave the Nets. As for Goran Dragic, the Nets could do with his scoring and playmaking but will need to negotiate a more team-friendly deal with him. If Dragic takes the veteran’s minimum, it would allow the Nets to get some valuable free agents.
The Nets will need to make the right decisions in the offseason, as their championship window is not very long. The rest of their roster is either locked in or expected to exercise their player options at the moment, and unless there is some trade, there won't be any major departures aside from the players mentioned above.
With Durant and Irving both in their 30s, the Nets will want to give them the best chance possible to win an NBA championship, while also giving Ben Simmons a chance to play as a third option and regain his confidence. After the eventual departure of Durant and Irving, the Nets are expected to build around Simmons if he returns to his All-Star form.
More must-reads: