2023-24 season: 32-50
Season highlights: In early December, the Nets won six of seven games to go 12-9, giving the fan base a sense of optimism. This eventually faded away.
how it ended
In a discouraging fashion. Although the team didn't make the postseason, Houston owes them the 2024 pick, effectively giving the Rockets a lottery pick in this June's draft. Mikal Bridges didn't live up to the hype for his post-trade play last season, and despite a strong offer coming in for the aforementioned Bridges, the team refused to settle on a direction at the trade deadline.
Third-year guard Cam Thomas emerged as the scorer everyone expected him to be, averaging 22.5 points on the season in a fairly modest 31.4 minutes per game. He was surprisingly consistent, failing to score in double digits just seven times all season, and showed the ability to throw a ton of both 3-pointers and free throws, a consistent model of offensive efficiency. .
Thomas burst onto the scene from a scoring standpoint, but offered nothing else, and that became a theme for the Nets. Outside of Bridges and Nic Claxton, who averaged 11.8 points and 9.9 rebounds and played exceptional defense throughout the year, he was the only Nets player to play regularly as a consistent two-way threat or all-around player. No player has proven that. Dorian Finney-Smith played quality defense, but only scored 8.5 points in 28.4 minutes per game. Dennis Schroder, who joined the team on loan from Toronto, averaged 14.6 points and six assists, but didn't make a big mark defensively.
Needless to say, you're not going to win many basketball games if your roster primarily includes one-end players who can't break out of their comfort zone. Their only hope of acquiring a switchable all-around player was Ben Simmons, but a hip injury limited him to just 15 games, leaving the Nets' future and even his career in limbo. Oops.
With no draft picks this summer and Claxton an unrestricted free agent, it will be interesting to see what his plans are in Brooklyn. Because things look bleak at the moment.
What you need most in the off-season
talent. The Nets aren't in a position to be picky, and if they want to pair Bridges with another All-Star, they need to make sure that player can take the entire roster to new heights. The Nets realize they too often enter games at a personnel disadvantage, and that has to change this summer if they want to be competitive. At 27, Bridges is not getting any younger.
draft focus
The Nets do not have a draft pick this year, but if a player falls unexpectedly or the front office feels they are missing pieces, they could move into the second round by purchase or trade. — Kristen Peek
Projected draft picks (before lottery): none
Breakdown of salary cap
The Nets have $115 million set aside for Simmons, Cameron Johnson, Bridges, Finney-Smith and Schroder. They want Claxton to stay, but he has a cap hold of more than $16.6 million and will likely cost more than that. That means the Nets will be over the cap with additional contracts for the rest of the roster.
However, because it falls below the luxury tax limit of $171.3 million, it will be able to take full advantage of the non-tax intermediate exception, which is worth about $13 million. But such a deal doesn't make much of a difference to them.
key free agent
Nick Claxton (UFA)
Lonnie Walker (UFA)
Goals for next season
Brooklyn probably wants to get better quickly. If that happens, they would need to release Simmons' $40.3 million contract, which puts a strain on their cap sheet. With no picks to offer this year, the Nets will need to dig into their draft cabinet and buy future picks, including the one they received from Philadelphia in the James Harden trade, to get out of that deal. If they can't do that, they'll likely return next season with a similar level of talent on their roster.
What moves the fantasy needle?
Re-signing Claxton makes sense given the limited depth in the frontcourt. But the real move the Nets should make is to rely more on Thomas, who I believe has untapped potential as a playmaker. Thomas averaged 4.3 assists in March, but he's only 22 years old. He's been typecast as a chukker, but this team desperately needs someone to score and create for others, and he could fill that role if given the opportunity. — Dan Titus
