By Eddie Castro
For the past two years, the Brooklyn Nets have had notable star players such as Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Mikail Bridges, and the team had high playoff aspirations. Unfortunately, those groups of players were not able to reach the teams’ ultimate goal of winning an NBA championship.
The franchise has not won a title since the ABA era back in 1976. With General Manager Sean Marks officially pressing the reset button in giving up those future Hall of Fame players (Durant, Harden, Irving), he was able to get significant draft compensation back in return, hoping to rebuild the franchise for the future.
Although the current team does not have any expectations this year, the one positive note, Net fans can take is what players will stand out and possibly be a part of Sean Marks’s rebuilding.
For starters, the team hired former Sacramento Kings associate head coach Jordi Fernandez. This marks Fernandez’s first ever heading coaching job in the NBA. Fernandez was the head coach for Team Canada in this past Summer Olympics, leading them to a fifth-place finish, marking their highest finish since finishing fourth in the 1984 games in Los Angeles. Despite a current win-loss record of 9-12 as the teams’ coach, in many of those games, the team showed signs of grit and determination. Those words in themselves were something that had been missing from this team for quite some time.
The Nets were also able to re-sign big man Nic Claxton to a four-year $100 million deal, labeling him as one of the teams’ cornerstone players. Another player the Nets can build around is Cam Thomas. Fernandez has a knack for knowing how to develop players. The hope is that he can do the same with the 22-year-old player who averaged 22.5 points per game last year, nearly 12 points higher than the previous year. He is currently the Nets’ best overall player. Did I mention he’s only 22?
From 2025 to 2029. Brooklyn has 23 draft picks, 13 of them being first-round picks, and four potential first-rounders next year. Next summer’s NBA Draft is expected to be loaded with star-studded prospects highlighted by Duke University’s Cooper Flagg. The team is also expected to have between $44 to $65 million dollars in cap space in hopes of landing a star in free agency. Whether it be to use those picks as bait to land a Super Star such as Giannis Antetokounmpo?
The point is that the structure of the Net’s future is already in play with a few promising players. They could be the team that headlines this summer’s free agency and draft. This process, of course, will take time to unfold; however, as a Nets fan, if everything falls into play as free as being able to land the perfect player in the draft as well as the ability to lure superstars to Brooklyn.
Sports Notes: (Basketball) The New York Knicks will continue their homestand as Jalen Brunson and company welcome LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets. (Football) The New York Jets head to Miami in a divisional match up with the Dolphins on Sunday December 8. The Giants will play the New Orleans Saints.