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The Brooklyn Nets could move out of Brooklyn

By Kunal Kohli

NEW YORK, USA - APRIL 08: A general view inside Barclays Cneter during the game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on April 08, 2017 (Photo by William Volcov/Brazil Photo Press/LatinContent/Getty Images))
NEW YORK, USA - APRIL 08: A general view inside Barclays Cneter during the game at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on April 08, 2017 (Photo by William Volcov/Brazil Photo Press/LatinContent/Getty Images)) /
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Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov wants to sell the team. If he does so, the new owner would have complete control of the team. This means the Nets could move.

Selling a team is a complicated process. It is even more complicated when the current owner of the team owns the arena. That is the situation the Brooklyn Nets are in. Prokhorov owns the Barclays Center and the team leases it out.

More importantly, the team leases the arena out at a discount. But Prokhorov split the the team from the arena this past summer and that puts the Nets in one of the smallest clubs in the NBA. Once Prokhorov sells the team, it will become one of the few teams in the NBA that do not own their own arena. For context, two other teams in their division do not own their arenas: Boston and Philadelphia.

So that begs the question, where could the Nets go if Prokhorov sells? Well, let’s first consider the team’s market size. Brooklyn is part of the biggest market in the NBA, the greater New York area. Moving out of New York would be pretty improbable. Also, there are not many cities the Nets could move to. Seattle and Las Vegas, both of whom are trying to get franchises, still need to build suitable arenas. They are also smaller markets.

The likeliest move would be to a new arena in the New York area. Madison Square Garden is immediately ruled out. Knicks owner James Dolan owns the arena and all the team’s that play in it. Unless he buys his crosstown rivals, which would be hilarious if he tried, the Nets aren’t calling the Mecca of basketball home.

The New York Islanders are trying to build an arena in Belmont Park. Although it has not been completed yet, the Nets could move there. Besides, Queens is not too from Brooklyn. Also, the Nets could move to Nassau Coliseum. The Coliseum is slightly smaller than the Barclays Center but still has over 17,000 seats.

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However, it is pretty unlikely that the Nets would move away from Brooklyn. After all, they are trying build more of a community base this season. Barclays Center is the logical choice.