The Brooklyn Nets added some much-needed frontcourt bulk when former All-NBA center DeAndre Jordan committed to sign, but what does he have left?
On the first night of the NBA free agency, the Brooklyn Nets performed a clean sweep by securing commitments from Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan.
Irving and Durant took less than the maximum to allow the veteran center to come to Brooklyn on a four-year, $40 million contract.
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Sean Marks has a legitimate argument for being the best general manager in the league after all the things he did since the start of his tenure. This signing is another great acquisition to add to his resume.
After years of DJ making around $20 million per year, getting the former All-Star defensive presence at half that might be one of the steals of the off-season.
Jordan played last season on a one-year, $22.9 million contract he signed with the Dallas Mavericks in July 2018 and prior to that had a three-year, $63.31 million deal with the LA Clippers.
The signing of DJ helps Brooklyn on multiple levels. First and foremost, the Nets get much-needed depth at the center position. Last season our centers were Jarrett Allen, who is slight of frame, and Ed Davis, who was a little undersized.
During the playoffs when Davis was out due to injury, Brooklyn had no real alternative after Allen. Adding DJ after drafting Nic Claxton remedies this.
DeAndre Jordan also brings a better quality of big to the position. DJ is without a doubt the best big on the roster. He combines the rebounding of Ed Davis with most of Jarrett Allen’s rim protection skills.
In addition to this, DJ is stronger so he can hold his own in the post with larger bigs. Claxton, Jordan and Allen are all capable rim protectors, but DJ is a good post defender in general.
Lastly, the Brooklyn Nets gain a mentor for their young bigs. Allen gained a lot from Davis and one would expect him and even Claxton to learn even more from the veteran big.
Mitchell Robinson, the New York Knicks’ dynamic prospect, attributed a lot of his growth and improved play to Jordan.
If Robinson can improve under Jordan’s wing in half a season, then imagine how much Allen and Claxton can improve having him for an offseason cycle before getting into next season.
DJ used to be in their shoes when Marcus Camby mentored him, so he should have a good idea of what approaches can work to improve the game of the younger guys. And let’s not forget, DJ is here to mentor young bigs in Brooklyn for the foreseeable future.
Hopefully he’ll have Allen and Claxton in the weight room. DJ has also always been a fun personality while on the bench celebrating his teammates, so the bench mob should have a blast whenever he makes his trips there.
One concern is that DJ will take valuable playing time away from the young guys. Experience is a great asset toward growth, but as the years progress and DJ eventually starts to decline, that should give the young Nets an opening to prove that they were proper students.
Grade: A