After, a first round exit to the Toronto Raptors there are decisions to be made. The Caris LeVert led Nets, tried hard in the NBA Bubble and beat the Clippers and Bucks to make the playoffs. However, they didn’t have the same luck in the playoffs versus Toronto. They were swept in four games, it wasn’t pretty. The Nets were without their key players and superstars. This year, they’ll have Kevin Durant healthy from his Achilles injury. Now, the question is will he be the same? To be honest, even 60% of KD is great enough for the NBA. On top of that, KD isn’t reliant on his athleticism he is good on all cylinders. He is a deadly shooter and that’s what we need. Another player coming back from injury is Kyrie, I’m sure he’s going to be the same. Now, we know that the Nets will be championship contenders but the actual championship victory isn’t guaranteed. As Kevin Garnett once said, “Anything is possible,” so there’s a chances the Nets can lose. Therefore, we have to load up and make big time moves this offseason like we did last year to secure the championship. Here are some moves we should pursue, in no order.
Bring the Holidays to Brooklyn
Two key things that the Nets need is defense and big men. Jrue Holiday delivers 1/2 of that, he gets points and good defense. Our defense isn’t exactly bad but it isn’t great. Holiday has been on the trade block for a WHILE now, and we have assets to trade away for him. Many would suggest trading Caris, but I feel like that’d be dumb because he’s locked up for the next 2-3 years and he’s developed into a future star. I’d trade Dinwiddie because he’s been acting odd lately and is on a contract year. Alongside with him I’d include some picks and maybe a low-name player. Holiday shouldn’t be worth a premiere caliber trade offer because he is 30 years old, will need an extension after next year, and only averaged 19 points last year. This would ultimately be a great pickup for the Nets if it happens. I’m sure Coach Nash and his assistants will be able to fit him into the team.
Serge’s Resurgence
There has been multiple reports saying that KD has been recruiting Serge Ibaka to the Nets, since he is a Free Agent. Serge is a familiar face to KD due to the fact they played together in OKC from 2009-16. Not only does he have chemistry with KD but he is something this team desperately needs, a big power forward. We keep putting guys like Taurean Prince at the four spot that are only 6’7. Getting Ibaka helps the four spot and imagine having a Durant/Ibaka/Allen/Jordan front court. It’ll be great and Durant will actually be able to play the three spot. It would be a great acquisition for the Nets, and would make a road to the promise land so much easier. Signing Ibaka also fills out your defensive needs.
Harden’s Handles
If a trade like this went through it could either strengthen the team for a championship or kill those championship aspirations. Harden and KD have chemistry from their time in Oklahoma and went to the Finals. However, having 3 number one options could kill the team due to the ego’s of the players. They would simply be angry because they don’t get to hog the ball. However, I don’t think that the possible big-3 would have an ugly fallout. Due to the simple fact KD wants to play with Harden and they are longtime friends and Kyrie has made it abundantly clear that he wants to be a Net. He grew up a NJ Nets fan so, he won’t be an issue in my opinion. Another negative is that Harden is not a cheap trade. We can’t just offer them Dinwiddie and a first rounder then expect to have Harden. The minimum would likely be LeVert, Dinwiddie, Prince and Allen. I wouldn’t expect anything less, however I’d be willing to make that sacrifice. Especially if we sign a guy like Ibaka who’ll solidify that front court. The trade rumors for this to occur have skyrocketed in the last couple hours. There are reports saying that there is a done deal but some details are being sorted out.
NBA Draft
Currently the Nets have the 19th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. We need defense and big men as I stated before. My personal favorite to draft is Saddiq Bey from Villanova. The kid is a great defender and has a great three ball, he can’t dribble as well but with all the playmakers on the court, we won’t need a dribbler. He is 6’8 and weighs in at 216 lbs. He’s exactly what we need at either the 3 or 4 spot. Another excellent pick would be Jalen Smith, he’s a tall guy and we need tall big guys. He’s a work in progress in my opinion but could definitely help in height and depth. I would love to have a crack at Patrick Williams, Precious Achiuwa, or Aaron Nesmith but it’s likely they are drafted earlier. A guard that I’d love to draft is Nico Mannion from Arizona, he’s just a baller and has been really underrated. I’d also entertain a talk for Cole Anthony if we trade up into the first round after our first draft pick. The priority is big men and defense, I think Saddiq Bey is the way to go.
Thanks for reading my opinions on what Brooklyn should do in the off-season. This has been Jose Calderon III, with FiveBoroughDispatch and I hope you enjoyed. Have a great day, everybody.
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