Forwards
Keeping Joe Harris while signing the star free-agent duo would be a massive coup for Brooklyn. He was the NBA’s leader in 3-point percentage and was an incredible floor spacer, but does so much more than just shoot.
His dribble-drive game is much improved, with nearly 40 percent of his shot attempts coming from less than 10 feet, while hitting almost 60 percent of them.
Maybe most importantly, Harris shot an incredible true shooting percentage of over 71 percent with games inside five points with under three minutes remaining. The clutch Harris will continue to be a focal point on the wing next season.
While Harris has one forward spot locked up, the other position will be much more wide open in a KD-less year. As the Taurean Waller-Prince contract seems to be the most logical cap casualty to open the necessary room, we will assume he will not be a part of this rotation.
Were he to be in Brooklyn, he would have an inside track at major stretch 4 minutes.
Without him in the mix, Rodions Kurucs will get the first look at that spot. His defensive activity and enticing skill set could make him a good swiss army knife player surrounded by more capable scorers.
Beyond this is anyone’s guess. I believe one of Jared Dudley or DeMarre Carroll may return on a minimum contract that could eat up a few minutes, but Marks will need to sign one or two forwards to help fill out the roster.
Luckily, there may be some options on the open market. Two veterans that could help via some/all of the mid-level exception could be JaMychal Green or Patrick Patterson. Both have the ability to stretch the floor and compete athletically on the defensive end.
Other younger options could include a player like Glenn Robinson III as a backup wing. His down year last season could make him a cheap piece for 2019-20. He has shown the ability to shoot, shooting over 40% on catch-and-shoot triples in three consecutive seasons prior to the last one.
One final intriguing option is Tyler Lydon. The 6’10 stretch 4 could not find minutes his two years in Denver but is an athletic big man who is extremely comfortable facing the basket and has shined in limited NBA and G-League opportunities.
The former Syracuse big man could be a nice fit in Atkinson’s system and develop into a reliable stretch 4 the team has lacked in his tenure.