Nets: 3 players Brooklyn should target after Iman Shumpert signing

The Brooklyn Nets have signed guard Iman Shumpert to a one-year contract worth the league minimum. Shumpert is the second player the Nets have signed following the addition of center Norvel Pelle. The 30-year-old Shumpert played for the Nets last season, appearing in 13 games before he was waived.

I think this is an excellent move that Sean Marks made. The Nets are one of the worst defensive teams in basketball and Shumpert is known most for his perimeter D. Shumpert, along with Bruce Brown, provide such value coming off the bench, which is huge after the James Harden trade depleted their depth.

Like Brown, the big question with Shumpert is his ability to produce offensively. However, when guys like Landry Shamet and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot are not producing offensively, they don’t have much of a place on the court. Shumpert can at least provide some value if he’s not scoring, and a career 34% shooter from 3-point range is only slightly below average.

The Nets should have one of Harden, Kyrie Irving, or Kevin Durant on the floor at all times so Shumpert should theoretically get good looks from three. Shumpert won an NBA championship with Irving in Cleveland and played with Harden in Houston.

In terms of his playing time, I wouldn’t put Shumpert in the regular rotation right now. He does provide very good defensive value but Brown and Shumpert on the court at the same time seems a little redundant and teams can focus even more on KD, Kyrie, or Harden. I would use Brown and Shamet as the primary wings off the bench to have defense and floor spacing and eventually Shumpert will get his shot. If he plays and starts hitting shots, then we can talk about a full-time rotation spot.

After this signing, the Nets still have a gaping hole at the center position. It’s clear DeAndre Jordan is not the same player that he was with the Clippers many years ago. He can still be a pretty good rim protector in spurts and can catch some lobs, but he’s more of a liability than anything. With that in mind, there are three players I believe the Nets should target to help fortify the frontcourt. One is a buyout candidate, one is a trade target, and one is a free agent.