The Brooklyn Nets just couldn’t overcome their bad injury luck, as they fell to the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games following a Kyrie Irving ankle injury and James Harden soldering through a hamstring injury that normally would have sidelined him for weeks.
While keeping the Nets mostly intact is probably the philosophy that Sean Marks will adopt as he tries to get the team over the hump and into the championship, there will likely be a few moves made in order to shake things up to the point where Brooklyn comes out of the offseason more equipped for the postseason.
The lack of depth was a talking point all season long after the Harden trade, and that was really exposed against Milwaukee to the point where Durant played every single minute of both Game 5 and Game 7.
That can’t happen again.
These three Nets could bite the dust this offseason, as they could be byproducts of Marks retooling the roster to give Durant, Harden, and Irving some more support off the bench.
These 3 Brooklyn Nets may not be back next year.
3. SG Tyler Johnson
Early in the season, especially when Kyrie Irving missed time, the Nets were frantically scrambling to find someone who could eat up minutes at point guard. Johnson ended up starting a handful of games, as his ability to distribute the rock and finish off some tough looks inside made him a very valued commodity for Steve Nash.
Johnson might not have been the same scoring dynamo he was in Miami and Phoenix, but he appeared to give the Nets some solid minutes. However, when you step back and examine his whole body of work, it’s not as impressive as it seemed.
Nets PG Tyler Johnson might get booted out of town.
Johnson made just 39% of his shots from the field, was passed up in the rotation by a guy who started the season in Europe in Mike James, and was out of the mix when the playoffs rolled around. In all, Johnson didn’t do much to prove to Nash he should stick around next year.
The Nets have four draft picks this year, including possession of their own first-round pick at No. 27 overall. One has to assume that one of those picks will go towards a potential backup point guard. With the financial implications of letting him go a complete non-factor, don’t order any No. 10 jerseys anytime soon.
2. SG Spencer Dinwiddie
Dinwiddie evolved from a G League player into a legit 20 point per game scorer, so his role as a Sixth Man off the bench next to Brooklyn’s superstars could’ve been ideal for player and club alike. Unfortunately, Dinwiddie was lost thanks to an ACL injury, limiting him to just three games this season.
Dinwiddie has a player option that would pay him eight figures next year, but the expectation, per Adrian Wojnarowski, is that he will decline that option and become an unrestricted free agent. It might be too tough for the Nets to retain him next year.
Spencer Dinwiddie could leave the Brooklyn Nets for more playing time.
Dinwiddie could sign a one-year “prove it” deal elsewhere in which he shows the league that he can be an elite scorer post-injury. He will not be given that same freedom on the offensive ends on a Nets team that won’t even put him in the starting lineup. Dinwiddie is better off rebuilding his value elsewhere.
Sure, losing Dinwiddie, one of the few holdovers from the Kenny Atkinson days, would be tough, but the Nets could use the money they would acquire by letting Dinwiddie go to find a replacement. If he leaves, Dinwiddie will get a chance to make his next big multi-year contract that much sweeter.
1. PF Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin leaving the Nets will not be because his play wasn’t up to par. In fact, he was excellent at times with Brooklyn, giving them the interior finishing and ability to space the floor that they were missing for large chunks of the regular season. He even had some fantastic performances in the postseason, especially against Boston.
If anything, Griffin may have played too well. After signing for the Nets for almost nothing after his horrid season in Detroit, Griffin showed that even while his offensive skills are declining, he can be a quality starter on a playoff team. That could earn him a multi-year deal that prices him out of Brooklyn’s range.
Blake Griffin could get more money than what the Brooklyn Nets will offer him.
Griffin’s ability to attack the rim with some ferocious dunks appeared to return, as did his above-average 3-point shot for a player his size. The Nets, however, need a true center, not a power forward masquerading as one.
The Nets will add another big man at some point, as Nicolas Claxton and the empty husk that was at one point DeAndre Jordan are not going to cut it in the postseason. Griffin’s skillset isn’t what they need right now, but the partnership from last year was mutually beneficial, as it could help Blake get a more lucrative deal elsewhere.
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