The rebuilding Brooklyn Nets have some interesting and capable young players, but it is looking unlikely that they will participate in this season’s play-in tournament.
They have a 26-44 record and are in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, and for them to have any shot at reaching the play-in tourney, they would have to make up the 4.5 games that separate them and the 10th-place Atlanta Hawks.
Regardless of how this season turns out, the Nets are hopeful about this offseason, because they feel they can land a star.
“They feel they can recruit players. That 100% is their belief… They believe that guys will want to play in New York… Between talking with agents and players, they have a feeling they can attract players,” Brian Lewis said of the NY Post.
“They feel they can recruit players. That 100% is their belief… They believe that guys will want to play in New York… Between talking with agents and players, they have a feeling they can attract players.”
–@NYPost_Lewis on Nets’ plans
Full pod here: https://t.co/Ky6TJpzOki pic.twitter.com/nJBjM2uKor
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) March 22, 2024
Per Spotrac.com, Brooklyn is currently over the salary cap, so they will need to trim some salary before they can even think about luring a star via free agency this summer.
There is talk they could possibly buyout Ben Simmons, who will make just over $40 million next season, but they’re perhaps hoping they could actually land some talent for him in a trade.
Simmons, when healthy and engaged, is a capable 6-foot-10 point guard who can attack in the open court and play excellent defense, but he has been injured for most of his time with the Nets.
The selling point they will have to offer is the fact that they have attractive players such as Mikal Bridges, who has blossomed since arriving in last season’s Kevin Durant trade, and Cam Thomas, a young and emerging shooting guard.
But the biggest problem for the Nets is that the 2024 free agent market isn’t expected to be plentiful, so they may have to wait a few years to land their big fish.
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Odds Show Favorite To Sign Ben Simmons If Bought Out By Nets
