Go for a Star or Enter a Rebuild? | Nets 2024 Mock Offseason

Go for a Star or Enter a Rebuild? | Nets 2024 Mock Offseason

all what is going on everybody how is everybody doing today welcome here today to another episode of the just Ballin podcast today we are going to be doing our first mock off seon offseason preview here we are going to be taking um control or at least talking about a team that I feel like hasn’t been uh having the luxury of talking about a lot since they don’t own their first round pick which ended up being number three and that’s going to be the Brooklyn Nets a team that has some big decisions to make this off season and we’re going to just be going through kind of their cap sheet their draft pick situation what I think they should do some targets they can go out and get this off season and what this team could potentially look like going forward um not just in 2025 but how they can probably set this team up for long-term success going forward um and if you guys do enjoy these um on YouTube you can let me know in the comments what you think of this and um if there’s any other team you guys want to see me do next with this please let me know drop a thumbs up as well and if you’re listening on Apple podcast or Spotify appreciate a rating and review if you guys do enjoy these as well if you’re listening on Apple podcast and Spotify this will be uh the first part or you like the first section of a podcast um and my top 15 big rankings uh for the 2024 draft will be the other half of this pod but if you’re watching on YouTube I’m going to make those two separate YouTube videos so um the Brooklyn Nets in 2024 they finished with a 32 and 50 record they were 11th in the Eastern Conference they finished 23rd in offensive rating 28th in defensive rating and 22nd overall in net rating they fire jock vaugh their head coach after 54 games going 21 and 33 Kevin Oly the interm head coach went 11 and 18 um in the final 28 games of the season and this team was led offensively by cam Thomas which was kind of surprising the 22-year-old led the team in points uh he had 22 and a half points three assists three rebounds shot 44% from the field 36% from three Mel Bridges had kind of an underwhelming season as the number one option if you look at like most improved player odds going into last year’s season he was high up there a lot of people thought he was going to break out as the true number one option on this net team he finished with under 20 points per game scoring at 19.6 4 and a half rebounds three and a half assists shot 43 or 46% from the field 37% from three um and 81% from the line still a solid Defender but I think just lacked that confidence you’d have it in a born option running that half court offense maybe just wasn’t getting to his spots when you are guarded by the team’s best defender out there as well uh they picked up Dennis shuder at the trade deadline sending uh Spencer dwy over to Toronto uh he averaged around 14 and a half points on the season 42% from the field um in about 29 games for the Nets cam Johnson another big piece they got in the Kevin Durant trade 13 12 points 4 and a half rebound shot 39% from three maybe not as aggressive as you would have liked for someone that got that massive contract extension for his caliber a player um play style last offseason Spencer dwy like I said got moved he finished with 12 and a half points Nick claxon their big 2024 free agent unrestricted free agent since he was a second round pick he played 71 games still 24 years old averaged 12 points 10 rebounds um over two assists tonight two BLX tonight as well and shot 62% from the field I liked what L Walker did this season maybe wasn’t consistent throughout the full stretch of the Year appeared in 58 games but I thought for the veteran minimum they did a good job evaluating the talent there Dorian finny Smith um bounced kind of around from the starting lineup um to out of it and he was inconsistent with his shot still a fine Defender but eight and a half points four and a half rebounds a blow average shooter they really should have traded him back in 2023 when apparently they could have gotten two first round picks for him uh Royce O’Neal was fine for them and then he ended up getting flipped at the deadline uh we didn’t really get to see much out of their rookies we didn’t get to see anything really out of DQ Whitehead um and no clown he appeared in some games towards the end of the stretch and hopefully he can use that momentum going to next year Ben Simmons just appeared in 15 games um Darren sharp honestly I thought it was a fine backup big appeared in 61 games um and Dennis Smith Jr honestly played pretty hard on defense he appeared in about 56 games so uh yeah that is pretty much what the Nets were last year not a very exciting team whatsoever they were mediocre for most of the season they never really flirted with a playoff spot uh and cam Thomas had some really encouraging games but then there’s some games where he’s going to shoot you out of them and it’s like can he really be a number one option and it’s there’s going to be some big decisions to make for the Nets this offseason so they have about committed of $133 million that’s a lot of money for a team that just went won 32 games um and that’s for next year if you basically just don’t even bring back Nick Claxton the salary cap is roughly $141 million so if they let claxon walk they pretty much only have around $8 million to spend to be under the cap the luxury tax is at 171 million so they don’t really have to worry about going over the luxury tax even if they bring back claxon unless he makes $40 million a year which I doubt happens uh they have Nick claxon’s a free agent in 2024 um this offseason Dennis Smith Jr kab Bates deop wnie Walker Keon Johnson and uh Harry Giles um and this team basically has $40 million committed to Ben Simmons next year so it pretty much handicaps them what they could do in free agency cam Johnson got that extenstion last off season he’ll be making 23.5 million next year and then it does descend all the way um well it goes down to 21.5 million in 2026 then back up to 235 million in 27 um muel Bridges still one of the better contracts in the league $23 million next year 24.9 million in 2026 I also believe he’s extension eligible this off season I doubt that happens though Dorian FY Smith is ow $14.9 million next year and then as a $15 million player option 26 and if he replicates what he did last year it’s a little bit of an overpay for Dorian finny Smith Dennis uh Dennis shuder is ow $13 million next year that’s why Conor Toronto wanted to get off of uh Shooters contract since it was a two-year deal and didn’t what he was just an expiring contract cam Thomas from the 2021 draft class making $4 million next year he’s also extension eligible this offseason I’m sure a lot of his counter Partners or are uh I guess colleagues from the 2021 draft guys like Evan Mobley will probably get extended Kate cyam is going to get extended Scotty Barnes is going to get extended shanon should get extended um I don’t know about cam Thomas that we’ll say Daron sharp um $3.9 million he’s from that 20121 class they could draw to snag him on a below Market deal if they think he could have some jump like maybe it’s like a Josh Green type deal if they’re high on him being their starting center next year Noah Clowney um is under contract with DQ whiteed gatab beat theop does have a player option this offseason and then Jaylen will uh Jason will or Jaylen Wilson gez uh Kansas jok honestly played fine for the limited playing time he had last year uh he 24 years old he’s do 1.8 million if they fully guarantee his contract yeah um like I said Mel Bridges and cam Thomas are extension eligible I doubt either of them gets one because cam Thomas would just be restricted for Regent next year if he even outperforms this deal I don’t think they’re going to rush to extend him and Mel Bridges they got to figure out where the direction of this team is going their draft pick situation uh it’s it’s weird it’s definitely an orthodox so they own the third overall pick or they excuse me they don’t own the third overall pick in this year’s draft that is going to Houston back from the James Harden trade and they own zero second round picks not great uh in 2025 they have a swap Wars with Houston so if they end up with the worst record in the league and Houston ends up with the best record in the league they are getting the 30th pick in the draft and Houston is getting the number one overall pick in the draft not great they do own the sonone protected first-rounder which I doubt is in the top five next year I would like to stic that the suns are going to be in the playing tournament at the bare minimum um in 2026 they don’t own any of their first round picks they don’t own any other team’s first- round picks Houston owns it outright that’s a draft with AJ deanta Cameron Boozer Kaden Boozer yeah not great uh looking forward in 2027 they own uh a swap worst again with Houston so if they end up as the worst team Houston as the best team they aren’t getting the number one overall pick in the draft uh they do own the Suns unprotected first in 2027 and with an aging Beal and KD that could be valuable um they own Philly’s top eight protected pick in 2027 from the James Harden Ben Simmons trade uh in 2028 um it’s a swap best between Phoenix or Philly if that Philly pick is top eight in 2027 if they do get Philly pick outside the top eight in 27 um it’s just basically a swap best with Phoenix so Phoenix ends up as the worst team Nets are the best team they’ll get the number one overall pick in the draft and then in 2029 um it’s probably their best year they own Dallas is unprotected first their first round pick and Phoenix unprotected first yeah uh it’s it’s weird it’s weird for a team that doesn’t own their draft picks outright to be this mediocre uh their projected depth chart for the 202 five season just guys under contract point guard you got Ben Simmons and and a shooter not great uh shooting guard you got cam Thomas and DK Whitehead I would like to see DQ Whitehead actually get ample playing time next year I know he’s been injury prone throughout his Duke days and obviously year one in the league but I do have still excitement for or hope that Whitehead can be one of the best shooters from that draft class um outright uh and we’ll see if K beat the up picks up the player option probably should but he could get a deal somewhere else uh Mel Bridges um and cam Johnson also was set at small forward so solid dep there power forward you have Doran finny Smith Noah Clowney um and Jaylen Wilson and at Center you have Dron sharp with the pending free agency of Nick Claxton so pretty much the overall um or just the overview of the Nets 2024 season and what their 2024 off season could look like just with all the um I guess sh pick and financials so where the big question for the Nets is where should this team go should this be a team that goes big star hunting should they try to go for Brandon Ingram should they try to go for Trey young or Doan Mitchell um or should they try to just trade Mel Bridges trade any veterans they can and really rebuild now the problem with trading Mel Bridges um or Cam uh Johnson or doing a s trade with Nick Claxton is they don’t own their first round pick next year that is going to Houston in a swap like worse so they’re basically going to get the least favorable pick there and Houston is on the rise they went 41 and 41 last year I assume they’ll be around the same record give or take a couple wins so I doubt that pick is going to be in the top 10 so you can’t be relying on you and Houston picking in the top five that is probably not going to happen the way Houston is looking so you were running the risk of winning 30 Games next year and losing out on a generational talent in the 2025 draft there are generational prospects with Cooper [ __ ] Ace Bailey Dylan Harper Nolan tror um and just other good guys as well like Hugo Gonzalez eigor denam uh VJ edcom Ian Jackson uh Trey Johnson the can go on of really high in Talent next year that all could be number one overall picks this year so that is the last draft in which you want to give up a top pick therefore I think it would be wise for the Nets to revisit that trade offer with the Houston Rockets it’s been reported that the Rockets said we will give you all your first round picks back so you get your pick back this year number three you get your 2025 first back there’s no swap you’re going to get your 2026 first round pick back so that’s a valuable draft too like I said before deance said kamboo you’d get that pick back you’d get your swap worse in 2027 you basically don’t own your first round pick for the next four drafts including this year’s this isn’t out but you have to give them all of Phoenix’s first which is a um which is their first round pick next year which I don’t think is going to be valuable so then you’re relying on 2027 2028 and 2029 yes maybe that first rounder is in 2029 but I I don’t really think it’s worth it cuz if you are going to just go out and try to get a Donovan Mitchell you are giving up all those picks anyway so I think what we can look at this offseason in two different ways we could say that they go into the rebuild or we could say that they go into a competitive mindset for 2025 so to start off we’ll we’ll talk about if they were to do that trade with the Houston Rockets because I think if you aren’t going to go out and get a Trey young or a Donovan Mitchell there is no point of running most of this team back just resigning Nick Claxton and having basically the same roster last year that won 32 games and I doubt anybody is really elevating you you’re probably not getting a fully healthy Ben Simmons you’re relying way too much on no Clowny or D white did to make immediate impacts I don’t think cam Thomas Mel Bridges Dennis shuder and cam Johnson are reading you guys to an above 500 record in Nick Claxton as well so I say what they should do this offseason is take that Rockets trade man you give them all of Phoenix’s first round picks you could still have that Philly first- round pick in 2027 you could still have that first round pick from Dallas in 2029 you just give them all the son picks so that means you would end up with a third overall pick in this draft and I we assume one and two is going to be SAR or rehe that gives you a good spot to take a lot of different guys that can help contribute next year you could look at Donovan kinging at three if you move on from Nick claxon you could look on or look at Reed Shepard who could be kind of a combo guard for you next year and can play alongside shuder and cam Thomas at different times on the floor you can get nicoa topic who could run this half court um and and be someone that can develop throughout the season you can get Bru Ellis you can get Ron Holland there’s a lot of guys that would excite me about number three for this net team that would look so much better on paper so I think what the Nets should do if they were to rebuild this team um this offseason and you take those picks I would probably look at Reed Shepard at three I think he’s someone that could be a really good complimentary piece to what they’re eventually going to get down the line um I think brelis and Holland probably wouldn’t have the best development system here in Brooklyn um so I would look at Shephard or nia topic and I think if the Nets were at three I would look at Reed Shepard I’m not like relying on Ben Simmons to play more than 30 Games next year nor do I think he’s going to be back in Brooklyn after this season there’s probably a chance he just gets bought out midseason so they’re just done with him entirely so we could say that next year like point guard at least on paper it’s Ben Simmons for maybe half the year it’s Dennis uh shuder and this is like the rebuilding route and then for shooting guard we could say it’s cam Thomas um I guess we can actually put yeah yeah because we’ll put cam Thomas at the two we’ll do DQ Whitehead or we’ll do Reed Shepard and then we’ll do DQ Whitehead um or honestly we can bump DQ Whitehead down to the small forward spot because we are getting younger with this team which means if we are rebuilding this team we are looking to trade muel Bridges now there could be a plethora of teams that could be interested in bridges maybe Houston tries to be like you know we’re actually not doing this trade unless we’re getting muel Bridges which I’m like you know what maybe that’s a little Rich to do that um because I would like to now offshoot like Bridges to get other assets out there as well um so you kind of look at teams that could be interested in Mel Bridges like Utah’s got picks San Antonio’s got picks um with Sacramento try to make a move with OKC try to make a move um I think so it’s try to it’s like hard to predict where Mel Bridges could end up obviously could be New York but if there’s a chance where you can get three first round picks they don’t have to be the best in the world but three first round picks and a young player to insert into this lineup I happy with that next year and you don’t even have to move Mel Bridges if you don’t want to like if you end up getting all those picks back which is like a huge is giving you an out this is crazy this is like a Lifeline man you got to take this I think if you’re Brooklyn you don’t have to move Mel Bridges now you can move him next off season um or you can move him at the trade dead Bon like he’s under contract at a really good price $23 million next year and then $25 million um in 2026 he would probably get a nice package even when he’s an expiring contract in the 2025 off season but he’s going to result like in you winning games but tanking isn’t what it used to be you don’t need to end up with the worst record in the league to get the number one pick you can end up with the fourth worst record and be just fine so I I think it’s hard to predict what a Mel Bridges trade could look like but I would slide them in to kind of the rotation next year um but I think there’s if there’s an offer on the table you definitely do that if it’s like a team that has some draft capital for sure um so I would look at re sheer at number three you look to get um like your first round picks back in 2025 and then you can have your mindset on some other guys I would also look to move cam Johnson as well I mean shooting comes at a premium there’s maybe some bad contracts out there that you could take like I’m trying to think of like a team that would probably give up assets like would would Memphis want to give up assets I mean there’s also it comes down to the sign and trade with Nick Claxton could you do a sign and trade with Memphis or OKC for Nick Claxton I believe OKC can just sign him out right so that’s really difficult but I think I would look at a sign a trade with Claxton um and a power forward you try to move Dorian fny Smith if you can and I’m rolling in with like Noah Clowny and maybe asket you get in return for Nick Claxton or Cam Johnson or finny Smith or Mel Bridges I’m in I actually like dayon sharp I would see if you could sign him to an extension this offseason see if he would take like 7 mil a year for 3 years maybe like a Nick Richards type extension as well because I think you can really Buy Low on him um and especially if he’s going to be the starter next year to go with that so Clon though is still very young um I just don’t think it’s worth overpaying for him if you were going to be a bottom feeder but hey maybe you can eventually move him I don’t know if he wants to come back to Brooklyn um but I I think that’s fine I think even if you do this trade with the Houston Rockets you can look to bring back Nick claxon going forward you can look to bring back m Bridges you can run this team back but then you can be fine with jumping into the lottery next year cuz you’re actually going to get your first round pick and in reality those picks from Phoenix don’t mean anything from 27 to 29 if you were going to consistently lose out on top end Talent every year so that is one route that I think the Nets that’s the route I think they should do this offseason we’ll see how Joe Sai wants to run this team and I I like the addition I didn’t even mention of Jordy Fernandez their new head coach of this team let’s go into a younger era of Brooklyn basketball man where we got to get further and further away of KD and Kyrie cuz obviously it just didn’t work out um so yeah we got now the idea that we run this team back and we make some move so if you’re going to still go all in on a second star you got to resign Nick Claxton there is no point in going out and trying to trade for a big name if you are going to let claxon walk and have such a glaring hole at the rim protector position you have the matching salary to go out and get somebody that’s good um that could be a number one on this team and you can now move Mel Bridges to the two um and I think it really decides like what’s going to go on with what’s going to go on with Cam Thomas because I don’t think I think cam Thomas is probably more valuable to the Nets than he would be for other teams I mean this team could easily get to matching salary with the the Pelicans if they wanted to get Brandon Ingram you could throw in cam Johnson um there could even be a Ben Simmons if they didn’t want cam Johnson but you could also do Dennis shuder and Dorian finny Smith and then you have one of clowner white Ed or sharp that could be uh enticing and then you obviously have all that draft Capital so uh you could look to get Brandon Ingram but I think Ingram and bridges have a similar style of play and they half court offensively so I don’t know if that would really make a ton of sense obviously the Troy young could make some sense um but you’re giving up a lot of draft Capital to do so um I’m sure Atlanta would maybe want cam Thomas because they could do cam Thomas in that back court with the Jon Murray um so I’m sure you would maybe throw in cam Johnson maybe Dorian finny Smith um and then those guys can get rerouted and then you’re basically gutting those Phoenix picks which I think is really silly because I don’t know the ceiling with Trey young and Mel Bridges on this team and then there’s obviously the Donovan Mitchell route as well I mean I think even going back to Deon like the Hawks like Deonte Murray will cost you a lot less maybe only cost you one Phoenix first one Dallas first um and just matching salary and then maybe I would take that because Murray can help you uh immediately next year and you still get to keep most of the Phoenix first round picks which are still pretty valuable around the league so I would look into that as well well um Donovan Mitchell is the big name um or we could just kind of talk about Cleveland uh you’re probably looking at Mitchell and or Garland now if you’re going for Garland you’re probably including I would assume it’ be Mel Bridges in this deal but why would you do that if you’re going out and getting Garland I just don’t really think that makes a lot of sense I would only do Mel Bridges for Garland if you are doing that trade with the Houston Rockets because Garland gets you a little bit younger he’s 24 Bridges is 27 gives you somewhat of a franchise point guard he’s under contract and then you could added in those pieces around him throughout the draft going forward on in other trades and then you could still see what Garland Thomas back or can do next year I don’t think it’s going to do much but I think it could be at least a little encouraging going forward uh you can obviously do the Donovan Mitchell trade that would probably have to be cam Thomas or yeah cam Thomas cam Johnson Ben um well probably not Ben Simmons maybe Dennis sher’s got to be in that trade as well and then you do cam Thomas who is extension eligible man I just I I don’t really know like that option man I don’t really like it cuz there’s there’s financial implications on that as well um and then you’d get Donovan Mitchell you’d have to probably give up most of those Phoenix picks to do so and you would have to do this on a or like given that Donovan Mitchell is going to resign in Brooklyn which I think is way too risky and then you run you run a lineup of what maybe it’s maybe it’s Dennis shter stays it’s Dennis shter or I would probably put Donovan Mitchel at the one so it’s Donovan Mitchell with the one it’s man it’s like Reed Shepard no no no it wouldn’t be Reed Shepard cuz they’re not getting their picks it would be Donovan Mitchell at the one I don’t even know at the two Mel Bridges at the two uh it would be figure out your three you have maybe oh my God Dorian finy Smith at the four Clon at the five yeah I just don’t like that like that is not doing anything in the Eastern Conference that is not moving um me at all there are way better teams in the East Boston New York Milwaukee I think fully healthy uh I think Philly would eventually be better than them Indiana obviously the season they had Orlando’s on the rise this isn’t out come on Nets I would take the out with the used Rockets after talking for the last 20-ish minutes I think that’s what the Nets should do this offseason I don’t really think it makes sense to try to cut this roster and the draft picks they accumulated in the KD trades to go out and get a big name when you could get in out and kind of enter a rebuild properly I Know You’re basically trading Kevin Durant for all your picks back for the James Harden trade which if you look at it like that obviously it’s not great but you got to realize the James Harden trade was a disaster you ended up giving up more f fut first round picks and immediate first round picks which is kind of coming back and biting you so I would just take that out you can enter into a rebuild you’re going to have to see some poor Nets basketball but at least you’re could have some young guys that you could play around and you can get even more draft picks if you decide to move Mel Bridges maybe cam Thomas dor finny Smith cam Johnson and maybe a sign in trade with Nick Claxton um this team wouldn’t be good next year around whoever the third overall pick is and maybe that would stump their development which is something you have to look at as well and you want to give Jordy Fernandez at least something to work with next year here but there’s still at least some young talent that I like in Noah Clowney DQ Whitehead and Darron sharp and you could see what you’re getting at of Cam Thomas as well along with the third overall pick and I’m not saying you will get a healthy Benin year but at least it’s something to put on the floor next year I I think I would roll with that option if it comes down to the two but you guys can obviously let me know on YouTube what you guys think the Nets should do this offseason because I think it is a very unusual situation they are in and they have it out they have a Lifeline like this could be what it was 10 years ago at after they made the Pierce kg trade where they didn’t have an out and they just had a stomach losing top pick after top pick to the Brooklyn Nets every year those picks ended up being uh Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown who led them or is leading them to the NBA finals this year another pick ended up being Colin ston from the Kyrie Irving trade um so yeah you don’t want another repeat of that I I guess you do have those future picks from Phoenix but who knows man they have Devon Booker they have an owner that’s willing to spend and willing to make win now moves and go into the luxury tax so I don’t think we could be too reliant on those teams being bad in 2029 that is so hard to predict but you never know because the Suns will not have their picks going forward either so yeah for you guys letting me know or watching on YouTube you guys can let me know what the Nets think in the comments below um and obviously you guys are listening on Apple podcast or Spotify you guys will be getting my top 15 bigs that will be another YouTube video so let me know what you guys think

Let me know what you think the Nets should do this offseason:

🟢NEW Podcast Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78m8e346EEUihj4HKeYLqP?si=6rfPRUypQB6e0grBASJpWg

🟪NEW Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/justballin-podcast/id1730973359