Brooklyn Nets can “dream about adding an impact free agent”
NBA’s new television deals don’t kick in until 2016, but they are already began shaping the rosters of NBA teams. In his latest piece for NBA.com, David Aldridge began ranking the offseasons for every NBA teams seeking to answer one question: “is the team better now than at the end of last season?”
In his offseason rankings, Aldridge places the Brooklyn Nets at No. 12. He notes how the Nets have gotten younger and cheaper and have the pieces to “dream about adding an impact free agent.”
Here is his analysis on the Nets’ moves this offseason:
“Under pressure from The Prokhorov to get salaries under control and avoid the repeater luxury tax, GM Billy King sliced his payroll by almost $20 million despite spending market rate to re-sign Lopez and Young. The key was getting rid of Williams, whose lack of productivity, injuries and grouchiness produced a perfect storm of unpopularity. His departure will mean an offense that goes almost exclusively through Lopez and Joe Johnson. Hollis-Jefferson could become a defensive terror in time, and on the occasions when Brooklyn can run, he and Young could be exceptional lane fillers. But that would require a significant improvement at the defensive end — the Nets were 24th in the league last season in defensive rating, 25th in opponent effective field goal percentage, 18th in points allowed and 24th in steals. Brooklyn got a lot younger and cheaper, though, and has enough moveable pieces and cap space in 2016 to be able to at least dream about adding an impact free agent.”