Perhaps the Brooklyn Nets can rid themselves of Ben Simmons’ unfavorable contract and gain an asset back in return.

Long thought to be an albatross, there is one destination that can absorb the remaining $78-plus million that he is owed over the next two years from his five-year, $177 million contract and, possibly, get him back to his former All-NBA form.

“Forget all the James Harden nonsense and the [Houston] Rockets‘ intention to start winning games in 2023-24,” wrote Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report on June 25. “using a chunk of its $60 million in cap space to take on a bad contract with picks attached is the better alternative for Houston.”

Nets get:

– Kevin Porter Jr.

Rockets get:

– Ben Simmons
– 2027 1st Rd Pick (via PHI)
– 2026 2nd Rd Pick
– 2028 2nd Rd Pick

The Rockets hired former Nets assistant Ime Udoka to be their next head coach. Udoka, who was also the head coach of the Boston Celtics for one season, was also on the Philadelphia 76ers coaching staff when Simmons was still there in 2019-20.

Kevin Porter Jr. Could Provide Unique Value

Porter, 23, entered the league as a first-round pick (No. 30 overall) by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2019 NBA Draft but was traded on draft night and then again roughly one week later, eventually spending his first NBA season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had an explosive falling out with team officials leading to his trade to Houston in 2021.

This past season, Porter averaged career-highs with 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.4 steals while also dishing out 5.7 assists and shooting 36.6% from beyond the arc.

While his ideal role may be off the ball, he has gotten extensive experience as a lead guard.

Porter is entering the first year of an interestingly structured four-year, $63.4 million contract that is non-guaranteed in the second and third years and has a $15.8 million team option in the final season.

Porter would likely have further value in subsequent deals. But needing to attach a pick to Simmons highlights how far the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft’s value has fallen.

Patty Mills: Ben Simmons ‘Looking Good, Feeling Good’

Simmons, 26, has been viewed as one of the worst contracts in the league over the last couple of seasons. He missed all of the 2021-22 campaign with a back injury and mental health issues then only made 42 appearances this past season before being shut down in March, again due to his balky back.

The former three-time All-Star and two-time All-Defensive selection averaged just 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists this past season but could be primed for a bounceback campaign.

“From all accords and from what I’ve heard, he’s looking after his body, and getting into his shape and healthy,” said teammate Patty Mills, per Brian Fleurantin of NetsDaily on June 24. “From what I’ve heard, he’s looking good, feeling good.”

Mills, 34, noted that we will have to “wait and see” about Simmons getting back on the court but his account tracks with reports that Simmons has taken an improved approach to his rehab amid a slew of offseason workout photos. It also follows with Nets general manager Sean Marks saying that Simmons would not need any further procedures to address the issue.

Getting Simmons healthy appears to be the Nets’ only hope of offloading his remaining money without attaching additional assets.

The Brooklyn Nets selected Duke’s Dariq Whitehead with the No. 22 overall pick, the second of their two first-round selections in the 2023 NBA Draft.

The 6-foot-7 former Blue Devil was once thought to be a potential top-10 pick but a leg injury limited him in his lone collegiate season as he averaged a modest 8.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assists this past season.

“I think I can definitely get back to that guy who I was,” said Whitehead, per Zach Braziller of the New York Post on June 23. “I feel like people definitely from last year, they tend to think that I’m not athletic, and that was due to me pretty much playing on one leg. But I feel like I can definitely show the athletic part, and then really my playmaking.”

Whitehead certainly showed more than enough pop in high school.

Even with his perhaps disappointing stats this past season, Whitehead shot 42.9% from beyond the arc and averaged just under 1.0 steals per game.

He is expected to be fully recovered by training camp, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.

Nets ‘Comfortable’ With Dariq Whitehead’s Medical Outlook

“We felt very comfortable with Dariq,” Nets general manager Sean Marks said, via the Nets’ official YouTube channel on June 24. “If you could sort of rewind a year, there’s a chance that he was probably a lottery pick. So in order to get a guy like that fall to us, fantastic. We’ll take it.”

Even with the foot injury last season – which has him drawing comparisons to former Net and current Cleveland Cavalier, Caris LeVert – Whitehead’s game looked NBA-ready at Duke.

“Gonna come back better than ever,” Whitehead tweeted on June 7.

LeVert has battled injuries in his NBA career but made a career-high 74 appearances this season and has maxed out as a 20-point-per-game scorer in this league.

Nets Rookie ‘Not Gonna Try’ Rockets Big Man

The first of the Nets’ three picks on the night was Alabama big man Noah Clowney, taken right before Whitehead at No. 21 overall. A 6-foot-10 forward, he was half of the Nets’ efforts to double-down on frontcourt talent along with Kansas’ Jalen Wilson (6-foot-8, No. 51 overall).

Unlike Whitehead, Clowney’s athleticism showed often in college where he averaged 9.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and just under 1.0 assists and 1.0 blocks this past season.

But the rookie isn’t going to just challenge any and everyone in the paint.

Asked who he wanted to dunk on most in the league, Clowney responded by asking who the tallest player was – it’s currently Houston Rockets center Boban Marjanovic who is listed at 7-foot-4 but will soon be his fellow rookie, San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama at 7-foot-5.

“Nah, I ain’t getting [Marjanovic],” Clowney said at the draft, via The Score on June 22. “I wouldn’t even try him. That’s a floater. … He’s like 7-5, 7-7, and 8-5 arms, bro. No.”

Clowney did not measure at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago but Sam Vecenie of The Athletic wrote that it was “something in the ballpark of…7-foot-3” on March 28, which would rival that of starting center Nic Claxton.

Wilson, a former national champion, will be coached by fellow Kansas alum Jacque Vaughn.

The Brooklyn Nets could have a chance to flip one of the worst contracts in the NBA for the self-proclaimed “greatest big man shooter” in Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns.

“If the Nets are unable to secure some floor spacing from the 4 or 5 in a more economical fashion, they could send Ben Simmons‘ contract (which expires three years earlier than KAT’s) and a pick or two from the Kevin Durant haul for Towns,” wrote Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report on June 23.”

Nets get:

– Karl-Anthony Towns

Timberwolves get:

– Ben Simmons
– 2025 1st Round Pick (via PHX)
– 2027 1st Round Pick (via PHX)

Towns, 27, averaged 20.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and a career-high 4.8 assists this past season while shooting 49.5% from the floor and 36.6% from deep. The 6-foot-11 skilled center only made 29 appearances this past season as he dealt with a calf injury. But, at his peak, Towns has averaged 26.5 points (2019-20) and 12.4 rebounds (2018-19) in his career.

He has not been shy about claiming his spot in NBA history, either.

“I’m the greatest big man shooter of all time,” Towns told John Krawczynski of The Athletic on June 16. “That’s a fact. You can see the stats.”

Towns is averaging 23.0 points on 62.3% true shooting while canning 39.5% of his threes so far in a career that has seen him earn three trips to the All-Star game and two All-NBA selections after he won Rookie of the Year in 2015-16.

When asked about the trade rumors, Towns has put the ball firmly in the Timbwerwolves’ court.

“All I’m gonna say on it, the rumors are as true or as false as Minnesota makes them to be,” Towns said on the ‘Pat Bev Podcast with Rone’ on June 14.

Nets Could Take Advantage of Timberwolves’ Finances

The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft is heading into the final year of a five-year, $158.2 million contract.

He is starting a four-year, $224 million contract after next season which could reach up to $234 million with incentives which is a big part of why there has been speculation about his future in Minnesota.

“The Timberwolves were paying two centers max money for the foreseeable future,” wrote Krawczynski on June 22. “That has become even more important in recent months when it became clear that the new collective bargaining agreement will make it even harder on teams to sail past the luxury tax.”

Minnesota is currently more than $21 million below the luxury tax threshold, per Spotrac. But, as Krawczynski notes, Anthony Edwards is up for a new contract that will likely put them into the luxury tax. They were the eight-seed this past season losing to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs this season.

Taking on Simmons would add $1.8 million to the Timberwolves’ books for this coming season but would shave in the neighborhood of $190 million from their ledger overall. And, if not this offseason, they can explore this deal next season when Simmons will be on an expiring contract.

Brooklyn is staring down the luxury tax this offseason but has mechanisms to create more space.

Towns can play alongside Nic Claxton — who said he plans to extend his range — or replace him if the Nets move him ahead of unrestricted free agency next summer.

Nets Could Flip Ben Simmons’ Contract

Simmons, 26, was the No. 1 overall pick in 2016 by the Philadelphia 76ers where injuries bookended his tenure. He was traded to the Nets for James Harden at the 2021-22 trade deadline but missed the entire campaign with a back injury and mental health issues.

This past season, he suited up for 42 games averaging 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists but was shut down due to a back injury.

But Brooklyn was 24-18 when Simmons played this past season, even in his diminished state.

Most of that success was thanks to Durant and Kyrie Irving – the Nets were 2-3 with Simmons in the lineup after the trade deadline. However, he is still the only player on the Nets’ roster with an All-Star appearance to his credit (three to be exact). He’s also a two-time All-Defensive pick, a former All-NBA selection, and, like Towns, a former Rookie of the Year.

He is heading into Year 4 of a five-year, $177.2 million contract that has long been thought to require payment (i.e. draft compensation) just to move it.

In this potential scenario, the Nets do that and then some.

Just when things seemed fairly clear-cut for the Brooklyn Nets, general manager Sean Marks offered up a dose of sobering reality about restricted free agent Cameron Johnson.

“I don’t have a crystal ball. I don’t know,” Marks said in a video shared by Erik Slater of Clutch Points on June 23. “I think it’s one of those things that maybe we should expect the unexpected. Things happen all the time in this. We’ll be prepared for that. Cam knows how we feel about him. We hope he’s a Net.”

This is not a new sentiment from Marks.

He said during his exit interview that Johnson, 27, was a priority for the front office this offseason. But he also noted that Johnson will have a say in what happens as a restricted free agent.

The Nets can match any offer he receives but that has helped further sour relationships around the league in the recent past.

Johnson averaged 16.6 points on 61.0% true shooting after the Phoenix Suns traded him to Brooklyn in a package for Kevin Durant. He also shot 37.2% from deep in the regular season and was even better in the playoffs, knocking down 42.3% of his looks from long distance.

More than that, Johnson showed that he could be more than just a 3-and-D role player.

His points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 steals as a Net would have all been career-high marks across a full season.

Cameron Johnson Set to Cash In

The former No. 11 overall pick is expected to land a deal with a starting salary worth at least $18 million in free agency, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post. And there is some thought that his next deal could even reach or surpass $20 million annually.

“We’ll just have to sort of play it all out,” Marks added. “I think we’ve got a nice young group, and he can see how this group can do something special here.”

Former Nets assistant general manager Bobby Marks is not convinced that the Nets should go all out to keep Johnson.

Brooklyn is roughly $18.6 million below the luxury tax threshold before making any moves this offseason, per Spotrac; a cushion Johnson’s contract would eliminate.

Johnson was clear that he will make the best decision for himself and his family.

But the Nets do have one trump card that may give them even a slight leg up on the potential competition which is expected to include at least the Detroit Pistons – where Johnson’s former head coach with the Suns, Monty Williams, takes over the same role – and the Houston Rockets who have the most money to spend this offseason.

Mikal Bridges Recruits Cameron Johnson

“I just know a lot of people probably want him on different teams,” Mikal Bridges said, per Lewis in an article from June 22. “I just tell him…‘I know money and this and that, but just know where I want you. And you can’t leave your Twin!’”

Johnson has likewise expressed not wanting to be separated from his friend and teammate.

Asked if Bridges would influence his decision-making this offseason, Johnson was crystal clear that he would.

“Yeah, I’d say so,” Johnson said via the Nets’ YouTube channel on April 23. “That’s my twin. I haven’t played an NBA game without him literally because he’s been in all of them…He is a good teammate to have. He does little things. He plays hard, defends, and can help cover up a lot of stuff. So the continued opportunity to play with him would be very cool to me.”

Everyone involved is saying the right things. We will have to wait and see what happens when it is finally time to put pen to paper sometime after free agency officially opens around the NBA on June 30.

The latest recruiting pitch by Brooklyn Nets rising star Mikal Bridges may be his most meaningful.

Bridges is doing his part to ensure that Cameron Johnson is a Net next season.

“I just know a lot of people probably want him on different teams,” Bridges told Brian Lewis of the New York Post in an article from June 22. “I just tell him…‘I know money and this and that, but just know where I want you. And you can’t leave your Twin!’”

Bridges’ future in Brooklyn has seemingly long been decided with the organization turning away overtures, including four first-round picks from the Memphis Grizzlies. The 26-year-old swingman averaged a would-be career-best 26.1 points on 60.7% true shooting after the Phoenix Suns traded him to Brooklyn in a package for Kevin Durant.

Johnson, 27, experienced a similar uptick in his production, averaging 16.6 points – which would have been a career-high across a full season – on 61.0% true shooting.

He shot 37.2% from deep with the Nets in the regular season and 42.9% in the postseason.

“That’s my twin,” Johnson said during his exit interview on the Nets’ YouTube channel on April 23. “I haven’t played an NBA game without him literally because he’s been in all of them….The continued opportunity to play with him would be very cool to me.”

Johnson said he did not have a plan for free agency at the time of his exit interview. But comments made on the ‘Ball Magnets Podcast’ on June 20 may have tipped his hand.

“I found this apartment,” Johnson said. “I had it for a certain short-term lease and, at the conclusion of free agency, I’d reevaluate and explore neighborhoods and figure out which area of Brooklyn I’d like to live in. Because there’s a lot of cool little neighborhoods, cool little pockets. That should be a fun experience.”

Nets Could Get Expensive

Brooklyn currently sits roughly $18 million below the luxury tax threshold of $165 million for the 2023-24 season, per Spotrac. Johnson is expected to land a deal that starts at $18 million and could very well exceed that.

That is a lofty proposition for a team that went 13-15 after the trade deadline; something former Nets assistant general manager Bobby Marks warned about.

However, Bridges’ feelings on the matter could impact the Nets’ thinking just as it does Johnson.

Nets Warned Against Overvaluing Mikal Bridges

“Mikal Bridges…is probably the third-best [player] on a top-four team,” Marks said on April 22. “That’s the reality of it….And he had a great year. He’s not a No. 1 [option]. I think he’s probably a No. 1 on a bad team. He’s probably a No. 2 on a team that’s the fifth seed the fourth seed. He’s not the No. 1 if you’re trying to win a championship.”

Valuing Bridges is one thing.

Potentially overvaluing him to the point where it affects the wiggle room going forward is another entirely. Fortunately for the Nets, they don’t quite have to make that decision – they have other avenues for creating some space if needed.

Still, today’s good contract can look rather onerous if things don’t go well for that player or the teams that gave it to them. Bridges is under contract through the 2026 season on a four-year, $90.9 million contract and it could cost as much if not more to keep Johnson in the mix. Whether or not the Nets are up for that will soon be put to the test.

The Brooklyn Nets may have just gotten some clarity on how their offseason will unfold.

Among their priorities, per general manager Sean Marks, is restricted free agent Cameron Johnson who is expected to draw plenty of interest this summer. But Johnson may have just tipped his hand on which direction he is leaning.

During an appearance on the ‘Ball Magnets Podcast’ on June 20, Johnson was asked if Brooklyn was a city to rent or buy a home in when he made the telling comments.

“I found this apartment,” Johnson said. “I had it for a certain short-term lease and, at the conclusion of free agency, I’d reevaluate and explore neighborhoods and figure out which area of Brooklyn I’d like to live in. Because there’s a lot of cool little neighborhoods, cool little pockets. That should be a fun experience.”

That is far from an official announcement but could suggest Johnson still plans on being a Net.

Brooklyn received Johnson a part of a package along with Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder – whom they immediately flipped to the Milwaukee Bucks – and a handful of draft picks from the Phoenix Suns at this year’s trade deadline for Kevin Durant.

The 27-year-old forward put up numbers – 16.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals in 25 regular-season appearances – that would have been career highs across a full season.

Cameron Johnson, Nets Have Mututal Interest in New Deal

Johnson, who is extremely close with the Nets’ new cornerstone in Bridges, has also made it clear that his former Suns teammate would weigh on his decision-making summer. At the same time, he also said that he did not yet have a plan for how he would approach free agency during his exit interview on April 23.

“Cam knows how we feel,” Marks said via the Nets’ YouTube channel during his end-of-season presser on April 23. “We hope he’s back…But he’s going to have decisions to make. So, at the right time, we will certainly be having those discussions with him and his agent, and we hope that Cam will be back.”

Johnson said his lease ends at the end of June which could mean a swift official resolution.

Especially if the Nets are as committed to Bridges – who has said he wants Johnson back – as league sources believe they are.

Nets Committed to Mikal Bridges

“Mikal Bridges is a player that they have that they’re going to build around,” insider Adrian Wojnarowski said on the ESPN NBA Mock Draft Special on June 20. “The kind of offers the Nets have gotten for him, I think, speaks to how valuable he is. And [he is] a player I think for Brooklyn, they keep in place when the next big star is available in a trade.”

The Nets have been linked to Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard.

Bridges and Lillard are also friends but the Blazers had the 26-year-old swingman atop their wishlist at one point. However, Brooklyn brass has made it clear they aren’t interested in parting with him leaving this potential traded stuck in the ether.

This is not the first we’ve heard about the Nets looking to build around Bridges, and their initial rejection of four first-round picks from the Memphis Grizzles at the deadline was the first sign.

“We’re talking about a young man that’s growing in front of our eyes,” Vaughn said via YES Network on YouTube on April 22. “A great learning experience that we can’t replicate unless he goes through it…I’m going to be able to look back on this and talk to him about this summer what this felt like, what it looks like going forward because he’s a part of it.”

The Brooklyn Nets caught a stray following the Phoenix Suns’ latest blockbuster trade for a star.

Just four months after swinging a trade with the Nets for Kevin Durant, the Suns have unloaded virtually all of their remaining draft assets, sending them to the Washington Wizards along with Chris Paul and Landry Shamet for Bradley Beal, guard Jordan Goodwin, G Leaguer Isaiah Todd, a handful of second-round picks, and pick swaps.

Despite not being involved, Portland Trail Blazers star big man Jusuf Nurkic called them out.

“Brooklyn situation all over again,” Nurkic tweeted on June 18, also retweeting an image mocking the Suns’ new top-heavy lineup that was also shared by teammate Damian Lillard’s trainer Phil Beckner.

The Nets, of course, only traded Durant after he forced their hand following Kyrie Irving’s trade demand which Brooklyn granted. A big three that was supposed to be Durant, Irving, and James Harden only saw the floor together for 17 games and has seemingly made the Nets at least slightly more cautious about jumping right back into the star chase.

Brooklyn traded rights to its first-round picks through 2027 to the Houston Rockets for Harden.

They also broke up a playoff team to get Durant and Irving in 2019. But, even before Durant, the Nets were on the wrong side of a trade with the Boston Celtics that is regarded as one of the worst roster-building experiments in recent memory.

They tried to pair Celtics stars Kevin Garnett and Paul Piere alongside Deron Williams and Brook Lopez but that only lasted one season before they pivoted away from Pierce.

Garnett lasted 42 games into the following season before getting traded.

The Nets lost in the Easter Conference Finals that first season and were bounced in the first round the following year They proceeded to endure a three-year postseason drought but are now riding a streak of five consecutive postseason appearances including holding onto the six-seed even after the drain of losing Durant and Irving at the deadline.

Three of the picks they traded for the Celtics’ vets were turned into Jaylen Brown, Markelle Fultz, and Colin Sexton, each of whom would be solid fits with this current group.

Nets ‘Probably Very Happy’ at Suns’ Trade for Bradley Beal

The Nets were among nearly a dozen teams who were believed to be acceptable trade destination

“Ironically, I think the Nets are probably a team that was very happy about today’s trade,” said ESPN NBA insider Tim MacMahon on the ‘Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective’ podcast on June 18. “Because what you have now…[it’s] all-in on a very short window. And those picks that [the Suns] gave up to get KD extend beyond that very short window.”

Phoenix traded its first-round picks in 2023 (No. 21 overall), 2025, 2027, and 2029, as well as the option to swap first-rounders in 2028, a pair of second-rounders (2028 and 2029), Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, and Cameron Johnson to the Nets for Durant.

Durant, 34, was injured at the time and hurt himself again after the trade. He has made no more than 55 appearances during the regular season since 2018-19.

He has suffered a series of lower body injuries in that span.

Beal, 29, has not made more than 60 appearances in that span while Devin Booker, 26, made a career-low 53 appearances this past season. The significance of the regular season has been de-emphasized in recent years but they were just two losses from being in the Play-In Tournament where the Miami Heat proved anything can happen.

Nets Potentially ‘More Appealing’ Trade Partner for Blazers

Beal isn’t the only star the Nets have been linked to with Lillard also being on their radar. Lillard has also named Brooklyn as one of the destinations he would prefer if he were to request one which he has not at this time.

The other top team on his list, the Heat, could be at a disadvantage since Lillard does not have the no-trade clause that allowed Beal to force Washington’s hand.

“The Nets…could offer as many as 11 first-round picks, including nine unprotected,” wrote Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald on June 19. “If the Nets offer five or more first-round picks, the Heat’s chances could hinge on Lillard specifically asking the Blazers to send him only to Miami. And it’s unclear if Lillard would do that.”

If stars on exorbitant contracts are going for discounts, the Nets may still be in luck.

The Brooklyn Nets are in no hurry to get back into the star-chasing game but they could still get involved in one of the potential trades involving a star this offseason.

The New Orleans Pelicans have shown an interest in acquiring a top-three pick in the 2023 NBA Draft to land Overtime Elite point guard Scoot Henderson, per Shams Charania of The Athletics and Stadium. And Portland Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin says they are looking to acquire some win-now help around Damian Lillard rather than trade him away.

That could create an opportunity for the Nets to benefit.

Nets get:

– Anfernee Simons
– Keon Johnson

Pelicans get:

– Dorian Finney-Smith
– Patty Mills
– Royce O’Neale
– 2023 1st Rd Pick (No. 3 overall via POR)

Trail Blazers get:

– Zion Williamson

“The Blazers face a dilemma with the No. 3 pick: trade it for veteran help…or pick somebody who can lead the franchise in the post-Dame era,” writes Kevin Pelton of ESPN, who proposed the deal on June 16. “Simons doesn’t make much sense for the Pelicans…so this construction flips him to Brooklyn as a lead playmaker in exchange for 3-and-D wings.”

Portland was rumored to have Nets swingman Mikal Bridges atop their wishlist, per Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report on May 29. But Brooklyn brass has made it clear they are not interested in dealing him away, per Alex Schiffer of The Athletic.

This gets the ultra-talented but oft-injured Williamson while the Nets build out a new core.

The Blazers have to add money – like sending Nassir Little’s $6.2 million salary to New Orleans – for this to work, per Spotrac’s Roster Manager tool.

Breaking Down The Potential Return

Simons, 24, averaged a career-high 21.1 points on 58.1% true shooting and hit 37.7% of his triples with 4.1 rebounds – also a career-high – and 2.6 assists. He is heading into the second year of a four-year, $100 million contract and has shown some of the same explosive scoring traits Lillard has.

But he is also showing budding chops as an on-ball defender.

Brooklyn would benefit greatly with Simons playing that kind of defense with Bridges and Cameron Johnson – assuming he re-signs this offseason – on the wings and then adding his scoring punch to the group.

Johnson, 21, was the No. 21 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft whom the Blazers acquired in the trade that sent Robert Covington and Norman Powell to the Los Angeles Clippers.

He is heading into the third year of his rookie deal after averaging 4.7/1.5/1.1 in 2022-23.

Simons in particular could fit what Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn already identified as a need for this offseason.

Nets Seeking Downhill Threat

During his postgame press conference after Game 4 of their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 22, Vaughn listed a few things he will be looking to add this offseason.

Among them was a true downhill threat with Brooklyn’s roster currently featuring plenty of play finishers but few creators.

Simons could be that.

And, at the price of three players the Nets could be looking to move anyway, this be an even easier deal to agree to for them.

Finney-Smith, 30, has openly talked about possibly being traded this offseason while the Nets have already rejected multiple offers for both him and O’Neale, 30, perhaps for an opportunity such as this. Mills, 34, found himself only getting spot minutes this past season and has long been considered a potential trade candidate.

The Brooklyn Nets’ interest in the latest star seeking a new home could be for naught.

“Developing: Washington is in serious talks with two finalists – Miami [Heat] and Phoenix [Suns] – on a Bradley Beal trade,” tweeted Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium on June 17. “The Suns have emerged as a serious threat for Beal, who holds a no-trade clause.”

Brooklyn’s interest in Beal came to light just one day before Charania’s update on the situation via Bleacher Report NBA insider Chris Haynes on the ‘#thisleague UNCUT’ podcast. And there was some speculation that the Nets could be a team Beal would waive his no-trade clause for to facilitate a deal.

Now, in light of Charania’s new report, Haynes is noting that the outlines of a package to send Beal to the Suns could be in place.

“Phoenix can offer trade package of Deandre Ayton and Landry Shamet to Washington for Bradley Beal,” Haynes tweeted. “But it’s believed a Chris Paul, Shamet deal is what it would take if Beal chose to force his way to Suns via his no-trade clause.”

Haynes’ co-host, Marc Stein of The Stein Line, said Miami was Beal’s preferred destination.

But the bottom line appears to be that the Nets are on the outside looking in with Beal wielding more power than other players thanks to the no-trade clause. This new update further hinders what Washington can get back with Beal’s five-year, $251 million contract already limiting the list of potentially interested teams even without him having the final say.

Nets Content With Continuity

As tough as it may be for Brooklyn to potentially be out of the running so soon, Nets general manager Sean Marks has already made it clear that he is in no rush to make another blockbuster trade. Brooklyn is less than $16 million below the luxury tax, per Spotrac, and has to make a decision on Camron Johnson that could cost them upwards of $18 million annually.

“Continuity is big. It’s something that’s not lost on us, for sure,” Marks said during his exit interview in April. “I don’t think we’re in any hurry. We’re not going to be pushed to make changes just for the sake of making changes.”

The Nets avoided trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving last offseason, working themselves into the Eastern Conference title contenders they were billed to be.

That they ended up having to dismantle those title hopes mid-season is likely not lost on Marks.

Brooklyn’s Last Superstar Experiment Took a Toll

New Nets cornerstone Mikal Bridges might have hit the nail on the head in explaining how he is different from the previous Nets stars because he mostly stays out of the spotlight. He also noted that the city needed a refresh after a tumultuous four-year span that also briefly included Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden.

“I think Brooklyn itself had a lot going on,” Bridges said on ‘The Pivot Podcast’ on May 20. “They had Kyrie, Harden, and KD and then all that happening, and Kyrie[‘s suspension], and all that stuff. I think they were just ready for refreshing.”

Beal has been a low-maintenance star in Washington, not making much of a fuss.

But, despite that and the Nets’ need for a No. 1 scoring option, the Nets still appear to be on the outside looking in on this one.

The Brooklyn Nets could be prepared to bid on Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal. During the ‘#thisleague UNCUT’ podcast on June 15, host Marc Stein of the Stein Line presented a list of teams he expects to get into the running for the three-time All-Star.

Washington would work with Beal on a trade if they rebuild, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Stein notes that the Miami Heat are the “most intriguing” to Beal while going on to eliminate the New York Knicks. He added that he does not believe the Boston Celtics or Philadelphia 76ers would even get into the running for Beal who is owed over $200 million over the next four seasons and has a no-trade clause limiting where Washington can send him.

“I would throw Brooklyn in there as well as a team that could potentially get in the mix,” Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports said adding the all-important caveat, “if Beal approved it.”

The no-trade clause in Beal’s contract not only limits where Washington can send him. It also effectively limits what they can get back and, if he makes his perceived feelings about Miami public, it could further diminish the Wizards’ negotiating power.

Beal was not the only player able to veto a trade this past season. But he is just the 10th in NBA history to receive one, signing a five-year, $251 million contract last summer under former Wizards team president and general manager Tommy Sheppard and now finds himself faced with the possibility of relocation.

“Ignoring asset packages and their own needs, what teams do we think Bradley Beal would waive his no-trade clause for,” tweeted Sam Quinn of CBS Sports on June 14. “I think there are 11 definite ‘yes’ votes.”

While Sacramento did not make Quin’s speculatory list, the Nets did.

Haynes also reported that Beal was granted permission to speak with interested teams noting the Heat and Milwaukee Bucks are set to meet with Beal’s agent, Mark Bartelstein.

Why Brooklyn Would Buy Into Bradley Beal

The Nets don’t have control of their first-round picks until 2028 so going into tank mode is not a feasible option. The best player on their roster, Mikal Bridges, is also young enough to build around at 26 years old but not young enough to go into a rebuild either, and the Nets are looking to retain his friend, forward Cameron Johnson.

“You’ve got some interesting pieces…Why not if you think you can get him,” said Spotrac contributor Keith Smith on ‘The NBA Front Office Show’ on June 16. “My question is: How are you gonna get him?”

The answer to that could depend on where he lands in the pecking order on his next team.

Brooklyn could offer up any number of packages that fill the salary requirements of a trade for Beal but they might fall short in terms of quality.

The first-round picks the Nets do have come from perennial playoff teams, Smith notes.

Sean Marks Could Opt for Patience

The Nets also wouldn’t be looking to trade away pieces such as Bridges or Johnson, in Smith’s estimation, instead looking to add him into what they are building. General manager Sean Marks spoke about not chasing a star just because and possibly letting the group jell next season during his exit interview on April 23.

There is interest around the league in veteran forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale. But the Nets don’t have to make a decision on them – or anyone else of consequence other than Johnson until the trade deadline next season at the earliest.

The Nets could very well pick a direction this offseason. But which direction they will choose still seems very much up in the air.

Could this be the start of a heel turn for Brooklyn Nets star Mikal Bridges?

The former Villanova and Phoenix Suns swingman has done nothing but show his affable side to fans even amid a world-changing trade that shipped him across the country. But everybody has their breaking point.

“Yall cry and whine too much @ all nba twitter fans,” Bridges tweeted on June 15. “Happy Thursday.”

To Bridges’ point, Twitter and social media, in general, have often been a great place to express one’s ideas but not a great forum for civilized discourse. Bridges has generally kept his social vitriol to his former teammates or rival baseball teams (he’s a Philadelphia Phillies fan) and has touted being different from former Nets stars Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden.

Well, this latest display was right out of Durant’s playbook according to one fan.

“I’m the total opposite of all them dudes,” Bridges said on ‘The Pivot Podcast’ on May 20. “You’re never gonna catch me off-camera doing some crazy s***.”

Bridges has been appreciative of the love he’s been shown since coming to Brooklyn so this message would seem to be solely for the NBA Twitter crowd. Still, it is a bit of a different look for Bridges in the short time he’s been a Net.

Mikal Bridges Declines Invite From Knicks’ Josh Hart

Bridges was up to his usual activity earlier with former Villanova teammate Josh Hart, now of the New York Knicks, trying to put him onto some country music via a playlist on a streaming service on June 15. Just one day prior, Hart tweeted out that country music “isn’t that bad” which Bridges quote tweeted with a message for Hart to “lose his number”.

This time, Bridges’ message was much shorter.

Bridges also reached out to former Suns teammate, Cameron Payne, with whom he apparently had a friend wager. The Phillies took the final game of a four-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 15, their third straight win of the series.

“Can I get my money,” Bridges tweeted, tagging Payne in the post. “Go fightins.”

An earlier tweet celebrating the game’s 5-4 final score from Bridges even drew the attention of the Phillies’ social media team who had a response.

These are much more in line with what we’ve seen from Bridges online. Even his message for Payne was tamer than some of the other stuff he has said to Suns big man Jock Landale and Hart.

Mikal Bridges’ ‘Twin’ Joining Him on Team USA

“Brooklyn Nets F Cam Johnson has committed to play for Team USA’s FIBA World Cup team this summer in the Philippines, reported ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski on June 15. “He’ll join Nets teammate Mikal Bridges on USA Basketball’s developing plans for a 12-man roster.”

Johnson joked that Bridges – who has not missed a game he was eligible to play in since high school – has been in every NBA game he’s played in during his exit interview on April 23.

He was talking about NBA but he will now be able to include international tilts in the ledger.

If the Brooklyn Nets can’t come to terms with the Portland Trail Blazers on a trade for Damian Lillard, perhaps they can trade for one of his good friends in Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal who will work with the team on a trade if the franchise moves into a rebuild, per Joshua B. Robbins and Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Washington finished five games out of the Play-In Tournament this past season and has not won more than 49 games since the 1978-79 season and went 35-47 in 2022-23.

That is a large part of why many believe it is a matter of when and not if Beal gets traded.

“Ignoring asset packages and their own needs, what teams do we think Bradley Beal would waive his no-trade clause for,” tweeted Sam Quinn of CBS Sports on June 14. “I think there are 11 definite “yes” votes.”

Quinn listed the Nets as well as the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, and Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference alone.

The list of Western Conference suitors was just as stacked with perennial playoff teams.

Beal, 29, averaged 23.2 points, 5.4 assists, and 3.9 rebounds this past season. The points are identical to his output from the 2021-22 campaign, though he did shoot the three-ball better, knocking them down at a 36.5% clip.

Still, Beal’s availability has dropped just as his scoring has with the three-time All-Star suiting up for just 90 games over the past two seasons including 50 this past season.

He is heading into the second year of a five-year, $251 million supermax contract.

Brooklyn’s Best Package for Bradley Beal

The tricky part about trading Beal lies within that no-trade clause: He can veto any destination he doesn’t like but also any package that would strip a preferred destination of the assets needed to remain competitive. This is where the Nets could be uniquely positioned to strike and land one of the game’s premier scorers still in his athletic prime.

Nets get:

– Bradley Beal

Wizards get:

– Spencer Dinwiddie (or Joe Harris)
– Dorian Finney-Smith
– Cam Thomas
– 2023 1st Rd Pick (No. 21 overall via PHX)
– 2023 1st Rd Pick (No. 22 overall)
– 2028 1st Rd Pick

Is this an overpay? Maybe but only slightly since Beal is a) more than two years younger than Kyrie Irving and b) has proven to be more loyal than either Irving or his fellow former Net, Kevin Durant. The Nets are also not dealing with lottery picks now or, if Mikal Bridges is what they think he can be, by the time that final pick conveys in 2028.

Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith are both 30 years old. The former is heading into the final year of his three-year, $54 million contract and comes with a warning about re-investing in him from former Nets assistant general manager Bobby Marks.

Finney-Smith has been open about the possibility that he could be shipped out this offseason.

“We got to see what’s gonna happen too this offseason,” he said during his exit interview via the Nets’ YouTube channel on April 23, one day after the Nets were swept out of the postseason for the second year in a row. “I mean if we’re going to be honest, everybody hears what’s going on.”

Thomas, 22, has proven to be a dynamite scorer but little else which has not been enough to earn steady minutes under head coach Jacque Vaughn.

Thomas’ inclusion is what the Nets would be hoping pushes the deal over the top and could be the final piece they add or one they include instead of offering one of the picks. Harris can be swapped in for Dinwiddie – who might take issue with teaming back up with Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma.

Brooklyn could also try to include Patty Mills to further reduce the damage of taking on roughly $5.5 million in additional salary with Beal’s contract. And it might not take as much to pry Beal loose due to that exorbitant contract meaning the Nets could start from a far lower place.

Ben Simmons Still a Sunk Cost

Perhaps the Nets can convince Washington to take on Ben Simmons’ remaining $78-plus million over the next two seasons. But his contract has been described as one of if not the worst in the league coming off of back-to-back injury-plagued campaigns including missing the entire 2021-22 season.

Simmons’ recovery from back surgery last May is said to be coming along well with the three-time All-Star posting pictures of himself working out on social media.

It will likely take more than that to convince the Wizards’ new front office he is an asset.

Otherwise, they are sure to have more palatable offers for Beal which is why the above package may be their best shot and getting a deal done. They get Beal while keeping enough of their 3-and-D wings to support him including their breakout star in Bridges.

Meanwhile, the Wizards get a pure bucket-getter in Thomas, several draft picks, and a couple of veterans they can look to flip in subsequent deals to further their rebuilding efforts. All of that is a ways off, though, with Washington not yet fully picking a direction and Nets general manager Sean Marks seemingly in no hurry to dive headfirst back into the superstar game.

While Brooklyn Nets star Mikal Bridges has been busy schmoozing with Boston Celtics restricted free agent Grant Williams, rival teams could be looking to poach Nets players.

One of those teams, the New York Knicks, has a very specific need.

“Specifically, they need wings who won’t dominate the ball, can stroke it from three, and defend at a high enough level to earn coach Tom Thibodeau‘s trust,” wrote Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report in a June 8 article identifying targets for New York. “Yuta Watanabe fits the bill.”

Watanabe averaged a modest 5.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, and shot 44.4% – albeit on just 2.3 attempts – from beyond the arc this past season. The 6-foot-9 forward was always a role player off the bench but saw his minutes greatly reduced after the Nets’ pair of blockbuster trades at the deadline brought four new starters in.

He went from seeing over 18 minutes per game before the trade deadline to fewer than 10 minutes per game after the deadline passed.

Watanabe just finished a one-year, $1.9 million contract.

“The 28-year-old is a … ball of energy with enough hustle and athleticism to make plays at both ends,” wrote Buckley. “If the Knicks trust his shooting, then they should give chase.”

Yuta Watanabe a Cheap Alternative for Nets

The Nets are facing some interesting salary cap decisions to add talent to the roster while keeping their luxury tax bill in check if not avoiding it altogether. They would have to make some additional moves to bring back some key players, namely forward Cameron Johnson.

Watanabe could be a cheap alternative to some of their current veterans who could fetch something on the trade market.

“Yuta Watanabe is getting a nice pay bump when he hits free agency this summer,” asserted Tas Melas of the “No Dunks” podcast on February 14. “He came into the season just trying to make Brooklyn’s roster … and now he’s giving GMs a reason to keep him.”

He has been mentioned as a potential option for the Celtics for the same reasons.

“He is plug-and-play on the offensive end, with more on-ball portability than many of the other aging wings to whom heavyweight contenders are traditionally linked,” wrote Dan Favale of Bleacher Report in February.

His limited usage belied his international popularity, particularly when he was a part of the Nets’ rotation.

Mikal Bridges Takes Heat From MLB Team

Bridges was one of the players who arrived at the deadline and put a squeeze on the minutes, though he did not take Watanabe’s role directly.

Bridges is an avid Philadelphia Phillies fan and his favorite team lit into the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 14, winning their matchup 15-3, prompting a reaction from Bridges on social media.

“Lol,” Bridges tweeted also tagging the Diamondbacks who responded in kind.

Arizona took the first two games of a three-game set by a combined score of 25 runs to 10 runs for Philadelphia in August. Of course, Philadelphia won Game 3 18-2 so Bridges got the last laugh.

The Diamondbacks’ response to his initial tweet left Bridges only able to reply with a picture of retiring Miami Heat veteran Udonis Haslem from when head coach Erik Spoelstra asked him to check into a game earlier in the postseason.

The Brooklyn Nets could have tipped the scales in the NBA Finals.

Brooklyn traded Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks on February 3, just days before sending Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns in what was the official end of their latest experiment with creating a super team. But the return could have been something different entirely from the Miami Heat.

“Just to give you a glimpse of what they’ve looked at over the last several months: They made an offer to the Nets for Kyrie Irving at the deadline…right before he got traded to the Mavericks,” reported The Athletic’s Shams Charania on ‘Run It Back’ presented by FanDuel TV on June 13.

Brooklyn received Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick, and a pair of second-rounders in return for Irving.

But that trade was made in part to keep Durant happy and, more importantly, in Brooklyn.

It’s fair to wonder if Nets general manager Sean Marks would have still gone through with the Mavericks trade knowing Durant would want out anyway. A return from Miami would not have returned the same level of two-way versatility but it might have gotten them a bonafide scorer off the dribble in Tyler Herro.

Herro broke his hand in the Heat’s first playoff game and despite being cleared for Game 5 of the Finals, he did not play, missing the entire rest of the postseason.

Miami — who made it all the way to the NBA Finals but lost to the Denver Nuggets in five games — would have had to put Herro, 23, in him in a package – his four-year, $120 million contract kicks in next season – which could have brought back another shooter in Duncan Robinson.

Robinson, 29, went from seeing spotty minutes in Miami’s rotation to filling the vital role envisioned for him when they signed him to a five-year, $90 million contract.

That deal would have required additional salary which would have had to include Kyle Lowry and the rest of his three-year, $85 million contract, possibly going to a third team, to satisfy league rules. If they could have made it through to this summer, it could have been Herro, Robinson, and draft picks but would also have meant sending Irving to an Eastern Conference rival.

It could not have included Bam Adebayo regardless due to league rules on acquiring more than one designated max rookie extension player via trade — the already roster Ben Simmons.

Nets Vets Discuss Future in Brooklyn

It’s hard to say which side’s draft picks will be better four-plus years down the road but Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith were solid contributors, blending in with what Cameron Johnson desired as two other groups to form a coherent starting lineup.

Brooklyn’s new-look starting lineup of Dinwiddie, Finney-Smith, Johnson, Mikal Bridges, and Nic Claxton posted a plus-3.2 net rating in the regular season, per Cleaning The Glass.

That was good enough to rank in the 72nd percentile, albeit in fewer than 700 possessions.

“I think I’m settling into my role with this group,” Dinwiddie said via the Nets’ YouTube channel after Brooklyn’s win over the Houston Rockets on March 29. “Understanding what we need in terms of getting in the paint, trying to get guys going all that stuff…It’s a process: We’re all learning each other, we’re all trying to get everything down pat.”

Dinwiddie, 30, is heading into the final year of a three-year, $54 million deal.

Finney-Smith, 30, is going into the second year of a four-year, $55.6 million contract he received from Dallas in February of 2022.

He was a little more wary of looking too far ahead in his exit interview on April 23.

“We got to see what’s gonna happen,” he said. “I mean if we’re going to be honest, everybody hears what’s going on. The pieces we have and you just never know in this league. So I guess we’re gonna see after the draft. We’ll see what’s going on and go from there.”

Sean Marks Preached Patience in Exit Interview

The Nets’ surplus of wings could put them in a position of power in trade talks. But they could also wait until they have a better idea of what the pieces they have really are.

Marks has already said he will not pursue a star in a blockbuster trade just because.

They are expected to shop Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale at least and Dinwiddie could be in a similar boat as an aging veteran on a non-title contending team. But, judging from Marks’ comments, anything can still happen.

Time is supposed to heal all wounds but, in the case of former Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, it may be having the opposite effect.

In a sidebar from a larger discussion about his legacy, primarily regarding his two championships won with the Golden State Warriors, Durant was posed with the idea that his interactions with critics on social media are “weird behavior disguised as fun”.

Durant clapped back, as he is wont to do, saying that Nets fans are making him the “enemy”.

Just days earlier, Durant tweeted and then deleted a tweet saying Nets fans were “making s*** up” about his role in Denver Nuggets sparkplug Bruce Brown’s departure last offseason. Brown said that Nets general manager Sean Marks and Co. wanted him back but some players did not, though he did not name anyone specifically.

“Front office-wise, they’re great, they’re amazing,” Brown said on the ‘Dan Le Batard Show with Stugots‘ on May 25. “I love Sean Marks, [Jeff Peterson]. But I think, locker-room-wise, it was cool, but we didn’t do much together off the court.”

Brown and the Nuggets are one win away from the first championship in franchise history.

Fans immediately pinned it on Durant which the former Oklahoma City Thunder star was having none of before taking the tweet down.

Mikal Bridges Welcomes Being Different from Nets Ex-Big 3

The Nets looked like the team to beat in the Eastern Conference during their 12-game winning streak that spanned the better part of December into January. But, following the trade request of Kyrie Irving being granted, Durant wanted out too, requesting a trade for the second time he had requested a trade in eight months.

Marks obliged, sending him to Phoenix for a package of Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, and first-round picks. Bridges has been vocal about being different from the previous Nets era’s stars.

“I’m the total opposite of all them dudes,” Bridges told the crew on ‘The Pivot Podcast’ on May 20. “You’re never gonna catch me off-camera doing some crazy s***.”

Bridges took a shart star turn after arriving in the deal.

He averaged 26.1 points on 60.7% true shooting in 27 regular-season appearances and has essentially been deemed off-limits for trade this offseason. Brooklyn already rejected an offer of four first-round picks, albeit from the Memphis Grizzlies who figure to be picking towards the latter portion of the first round for the foreseeable future.

The gregarious 26-year-old is also not shy about recruiting players to his new team, even Eastern Conference Rivals.

Mikal Bridges Recruiting Celtics’ Grant Williams

Bridges first sent a distress signal out to Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams on June 9, calling for the 24-year-old restricted free agent to “save the city”. Taking it one step further, he was spotted at the New York Liberty’s win over the Dallas Wings on June 11.

Williams could be too expensive for the Celtics to retain long-term and the Nets could be aggressive in offering him the full mid-level exception worth $12.2 million, per Spotrac. Boston could always match it but the new CBA is highly punitive to tax teams while Williams can play 3-through-5 and shot 39.5% from beyond the arc last season.

The Brooklyn Nets could have a franchise cornerstone and chief recruiter in Mikal Bridges.

After taking to social media and sharing a picture of Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams calling for the latter to “save the city”, the two were seen sitting together on the sidelines during the New York Liberty’s win over the Dallas Wings on June 11.

Williams, 24, is heading into restricted free agency after averaging 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists this past season shooting 45.4% overall and 39.5% from beyond the arc.

He had to earn his way back into consistent playing time in the Eastern Conference Finals under Celtics head coach Joe Mazzula. But, more than that, the Celtics are one of several teams facing the daunting task of navigating the salary cap under the new CBA which is highly punitive to teams spending into the luxury tax.

Boston is over just over $4 million into the tax, per Spotrac. As a title contender, is willing to spend. But they also have to consider the future contracts of Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown, both of whom qualified for supermax contracts by making All-NBA teams this season.

Tatum can sign a deal worth up to $318 million after next season while Brown can sign for up to $295 million as soon as this offseason, ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks.

That could put a squeeze on middle-tiered role players looking to get paid like Williams who underwent surgery on his left hand this offseason but is expected to make a full recovery.

A rival executive tells Heavy Sports NBA insider Steve Bulpett that Williams’ lost minutes matter.

“All I know is that he filled a number of different roles for them, and other teams are seeing the same thing,” the exec tells Heavy Sports. “It’s going to be interesting to see how Boston deals with him, because it might say a lot about what they think they need to do to get past a playoff loss that never should have happened.”

Williams shook off his light use early in the postseason to average 7.5 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 48.4% from the floor and 42.9% from deep in the ECF, though Boston still bowed out in seven games.

Brooklyn Could Bid on Boston Big Man

The Celtics will have the right of first refusal and can match any offer Williams receives this summer. Brooklyn’s cap sheet is also in no great shakes sitting less than $16 million below the luxury tax line and needing to pay their own restricted free agent forward in Cameron Johnson who happens to be one of Bridges’ best friends.

But the Nets can avoid the tax by trading some of their plethora of wings. The Atlanta Hawks are said to have an interest in Dorian Finney-Smith while the Cleveland Cavaliers roster Royce O’Neale’s friend Donovan Mitchell and tried to acquire the former at the trade deadline.

Brooklyn can shed more than $24 million if they move both Finney-Smith and O’Neale depending on what they get back.

Nets’ Starting Lineup Could Look Very Different Next Season

All but one of the five starters the Nets closed the season with are under contract for next season with Johnson the lone wild card, though general manager Sean Marks has deemed him a “priority” this offseason.

Brooklyn is also one of the favorites to land Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard if he ever really becomes available which has not happened yet.

Still, they could land him for less than expected, per Zach Harper of The Athletic.

“A Brooklyn deal probably centers around the expiring deals of Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris,” states a report from Harper from June 9. “That’s before hoping to pry as many of those future first-round picks Brooklyn has…Either way, such offers might not inspire a promising rebuild for Blazers fans.”

Potentially adding Williams to a lineup featuring Lillard, Bridges, Johnson, and Nic Claxton could be interesting.

Can the Brooklyn Nets acquire Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard on their terms?

We learned the Nets have “genuine interest” in acquiring the seven-time All-Star from Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

But they are also said to have no interest in dealing Mikal Bridges for him or a package of Anfernee Simons or Shaedon Sharpe and the No. 3 overall pick, for that matter, per Alex Schiffer of The Athletic. So where does that leave things?

“A Brooklyn deal probably centers around the expiring deals of Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris,” states a report from Zach Harper and Shams Charania of The Athletic from June 9. “That’s before hoping to pry as many of those future first-round picks Brooklyn has…Either way, such offers might not inspire a promising rebuild for Blazers fans.”

Nets get:

– Damian Lillard

Blazers get:

– Spencer Dinwiddie
– Joe Harris
– 1st Rd Picks

To the article’s point, the Nets’ do not control their first-round picks until the 2028 season.

They can only trade from a plethora of picks from the Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Phoenix Suns, all of whom should still be competitive by the time those picks convey.

Lillard, 32, averaged career highs of 32.2 points on 64.5% true shooting this past season and would be teaming up with his friend, Bridges. But he won’t come cheap, owed over $200 million over the next four seasons.

The Nets might jump for joy if this were all it took to land Lillard.

Portland Focused on Building Around Damian Lillard

Dinwiddie, 30, ranked second in the NBA averaging 10.9 assists from March 10 on but is still likely best-suited as a complementary ball handler than the primary facilitator. He is also extension-eligible heading into the final season of a three-year, $54 million contract he signed when he was sign-and-traded by the Nets to the Washington Wizards in 2021.

Washington later traded him to Dallas for Kristaps Porzingis in 2022.

Harris, 31, shot over 40% from deep for the sixth consecutive season, though his efficiency has dropped two years in a row heading into the last year of his four-year, $75 million contract.

Both Dinwiddie and Harris are surely more appealing to a team trying to contend than one that would be full-steam ahead on a rebuild like Portland would be if they did in fact deal away Lillard who has not requested a trade and said he expects to be a Blazer come next season.

“There is not a team in the league that checks the boxes of a) being a place Lillard would want to go, b) having enough to trade that [Blazers general manager] Joe Cronin could feel OK about making a deal without getting fleeced, and c) having enough talent left over to still be a contender,” wrote Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report on June 10.

Cronin has insisted that his goal remains moving the No. 3 overall pick and one of the two aforementioned non-Lillard guards to help improve the team.

Nets general manager Sean Marks also pumped the brakes on a blockbuster trade.

Sean Marks Pushed ‘Continuity’ in Exit Interview

“Continuity is big. It’s something that’s not lost on us, for sure,” Marks said during his exit interview on April 23. “I don’t think we’re in any hurry. We’re not going to be pushed to make changes just for the sake of making changes.”

Four of their five starters from the end of the season are under contract and the fifth, Cameron Johnson, is a restricted free agent and has already been identified as a priority by Marks. Brooklyn is $15.6 million below the luxury tax, per Spotrac, pending a deal for Johnson and it is questionable if they would be a title contender even with Lillard.

This deal would add more than $7 million in salary next season alone.

If the Brooklyn Nets aren’t careful, they could see one of the ‘best value’ free agents walk out the door this offseason in veteran guard Seth Curry entertained returning to his hometown of Charlotte to play with the Hornets

“Growing up a Hornets fan, watching my dad play, you always think about one of us wearing that No. 30 Hornets jersey in the modern era,” Curry told Sam Albuquerque of Greenville News at the 2023 BMW Charity Pro-Am on June 9. “But like I always say, you never know in this league.”

Charlotte finished the regular season with the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference but does have a talented passer in LaMelo Ball to get Curry wide-open looks.

Curry, 32, is an unrestricted free agent and should draw plenty of interest.

“I’ve always loved the Hornets,” Curry told Albuquerque. “If I wasn’t in the league that would be my favorite team. … so we’ll see what happens.”

Curry’s father, Dell Curry, spent 10 of his 16 seasons in the NBA with the Hornets and is the franchise’s all-time leader in games played (701), two-point field goals made (3022), and has the dubious honor of leading in personal fouls. A career 40.2% three-point shooter himself, Dell Curry ranks second in Hornets’ history in threes made and attempted behind Kemba Walker.

Curry said he would have a better idea of his next team “towards the end of June”.

Seth Curry Among ‘Best Value’ Free Agents This Offseason

“The definition of instant offense, contenders can use the 6’2″ guard as a floor-spacer or put the ball in his hands and let him create for others as an underrated passer,” wrote Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report on June 9. “While it may take the entire mid-level exception, Curry could still turn out to be one of the best value signings of 2023.”

Curry averaged 9.2 points, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 rebounds during the regular season while knocking down 40.5% of his threes; his seventh straight season shooting at least 40% from beyond the arc.

But he does more than just catch-and-shoot.

Just two players have shot at least 43.0% from deep while taking at least 1890 threes since the 2015-16 season, per Spotrac: Curry and Nets swingman Joe Harris.

Curry just finished a four-year, $32 million contract.

Harris, 31, averaged 7.6 points – his fewest since the 2015-16 campaign – with 2.2 rebounds, and 1.4 rebounds while shooting 42.6% from three. His four-year $70 million contract has undercut his value as one of the best sharpshooters in the game on the trade market, though he is now heading into the final season of the deal.

Seth Curry Could Draw Plenty of Interest

Curry was floated as a potential target in free agency for the Chicago Bulls who ranked 30th in threes taken in 2022-23 and will have the full midlevel exception worth $12.2 million at their disposal.

The rival New York Knicks will also have the full MLE and have been mentioned as a possibility.

Brooklyn is less than $16 million away from the luxury tax line and general manager Sean Marks has already declared forward Cameron Johnson, 27, a “priority”. Johnson is expected to command a salary starting at $18 million per season, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post, which would eat up that cushion and then some which should squeeze Curry out for good.

Assuming he does land elsewhere, Curry’s next stop will be his ninth since he entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2013-14.

No love is lost between former Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, now of the Phoenix Suns, and Nets Twitter.

The outspoken Durant made that clear with his charge that Nets fans on the social media app have a habit of “making s*** up” about how things happened during his time with the organization.

This time, he responded to an assertion that he cost Brooklyn Bruce Brown.

“At some point, Nets Twitter has to stop making s–t up,” Durant tweeted on June 9, per Larry Brown Sports. “I know, I know, I’m soft for this tweet. I’ll delete soon.”

The tweet has indeed since been deleted.

Brown, 26, has said that general manager Sean Marks and the front office wanted him to stay with the team, offering a vague (at best) reference to some other force influencing no offer coming his way. He landed with the Denver Nuggets last offseason and has helped the team get one game away from the franchise’s first NBA title.

“Front office-wise, they’re great, they’re amazing,” Brown said on the ‘Dan Le Batard Show with Stugots on May 25. “I love Sean Marks, [Jeff Peterson]. But I think, locker-room-wise, it was cool, but we didn’t do much together off the court. But when James [Harden] was there, obviously it was more fun.”

Brown has one year left on his two-year, $13.2 million contract but can opt out this summer and figures to do so after his breakout regular season and performance this postseason, the latter continuing a trend he started with Brooklyn during the 2022 postseason.

The former Miami Hurricane averaged a career-best 11.5 points with 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals during the regular season and 12.1 points in the postseason adding 3.9 boards.

He is also still dishing out 1.9 assists operating off of stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.

Kevin Durant’s Role in Nets Dysfunction

For the second year in a row, the Nets were swept out of the playoffs in the first round after coming into the season with championship aspirations. At one point, they rattled off 12 straight wins and looked like the team to beat in the Eastern Conference before Durant reinstated his trade demand following that of his friend and former teammate, Kyrie Irving.

Irving went to the Dallas Mavericks while Durant was subsequently sent to Phoenix and the Nets were left trying to piece together a feasible rotation of role players. Blame for the downfall has gone to everyone from Durant and Irving to Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden.

Brown noted Harden’s departure sapped some of the good energy out of the locker room while Harden has made no secret about why he wanted out.

It starts at the top.

“There was no structure and even superstars, they need structure. That’s what allows us to be the best players and leaders for our respective organizations,” Harden told Yaron Weitzman of Fox Sports in an interview released in March. “I just feel like…internally, things weren’t what I expected when I was trying to get traded there. I think everybody knows that.”

Harden pointed to Durant’s request as proof that he wasn’t in the wrong to push for his exit as he did. Durant has romanticized the trio’s – with Irving serving as the third component – short-lived run of just 17 games.

Irving has said his goal was always to win a championship in Brooklyn adding there is “no f****** doubt” the Nets would have won the title in 2021 had he not gotten injured.

Nets Ownership Says NBA Players are ‘Difficult’ to Manage

Nets governor Joe Tsai has been honest about his feelings on dealing with NBA players in the wake of a tumultuous season, comparing managing an NBA roster to working with actors on the set of a Hollywood production.

“And actors and actresses are human beings. They’re very, very difficult to manage,” Tsai said at the ‘BEYOND Expo 2023′ on YouTube on May 10. “Believe me, I manage a basketball team and the players are very difficult to manage. If you’re in Hollywood, it’s very, very difficult to manage people.”

Tsai has not always been in the good graces of fans but this may be one topic both sides can agree on.

The Brooklyn Nets are in an interesting space right now.

On the one hand, they are a team in need of a true superstar, even if Mikal Bridges showed a lot of positives in his brief cameo as the de facto top option.

But getting that star is going to cost, though, especially if the target is Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard according to an anonymous Eastern Conference general manager in a conversation with Heavy Sports NBA insider Sean Deveney.

“Portland is looking to move on (from Jusuf Nurkic), and if you are going to have Lillard in a blockbuster kind of trade, you’d like to clear your sheet as much as possible,” the GM tells Heavy Sports. “Put (Nurkic) into a deal and you have some more flexibility in terms of what you’re getting back, and you can get yourself really set up for rebuilding.”

Nets get:

– Damian Lillard
– Jusuf Nurkic

Blazers get:

– Nic Claxton
– Dorian Finney-Smith
– Ben Simmons
– 1st Rd Pick(s)

“Insisting a team take back Nurkic would allow the Blazers to do a trade with the Nets that could land them Ben Simmons, Dorian Finney-Smith (who could be traded to a third team), and 24-year-old Nic Claxton, plus draft assets,” Deveney adds.

Lillard, 32, is coming off his best season as a pro averaging career-highs with 32.2 points per game on 64.5% true shooting adding 7.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and nearly 1.0 steals per game.

The seven-time All-Star and All-NBA selection did say he expects to be a Blazer next season.

He has also missed 91 games over the last four seasons including 24 this past season.

Injuries are a concern for Nurkic, 28, too. He posted a 13.3/9.1/2.9 line this past season but has not made more than 56 appearances in any season over the last four seasons. He has added the three-ball to his repertoire, knocking down 36.1% of a career-high 2.3 attempts this past season, and averaged 1.3 blocks per game from 2015 through the 2020 season.

Still, his health matters since the Nets have already talked about needing to add to their frontcourt as it is currently constructed. Third-year big man Day’Ron Sharpe did flash some promise down the stretch, though.

It is also unclear how valuable the draft assets Brooklyn has are since they do not control their own until the 2028 season.

The first-round picks they own all come from teams looking to remain competitive.

Brooklyn is Fast Approaching the Luxury Tax

This deal would add roughly $2.5 million in salary for Brooklyn who enters the offseason $15.6 million below the luxury tax line and with several key decisions to make most notably restricted free agent Cameron Johnson who could command up to $20 million to retain.

Lillard signed a two-year, $122 million contract extension in July 2022 effectively giving him a four-year, $216 million deal while Nurkic is going into Year 2 of a four-year, $70 million pact.

The Blazers’ duo has over $270 million combined coming to them over the life of their contracts.

Simmons, 26, appeared in just 42 games this past season averaging 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists. He is on a four-year, $177 million contract and still due more than $78 million over the next two seasons with no outs either via team or player option so Brooklyn’s best bet has long been thought to get him healthy and simply go from there.

Likewise, Finney-Smith has been the subject of trade rumors

The Nets are expected to move at least one of him or fellow veteran wing Royce O’Neale this offseason in part to alleviate some of their cap concerns as they prioritize Johnson.

Nets Don’t Have to Add Claxton

Claxton, 24, is a sweetener and replacement for Nurkic in this deal, not a financial necessity to satisfy league rules. The former No. 31 overall pick enjoyed a breakout 2023 campaign, leading the NBA in field goal percentage and finishing tied for second in blocks per game. He averaged 12.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists this past season with 2.5 blocks and 0.9 steals.

All of those were career-high marks.

He’s also still on the books at a team-friendly (relative to his production) $8.7 million salary in 2023-24, though he is going into the final year of a two-year, $17.2 million contract and will be an unrestricted free agent after next season.

There was a report from SportsNet New York’s Ian Begley that the Toronto Raptors had an interest in Claxton in trade talks at this year’s deadline.

The Nets were linked to both OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam at the time. If Brooklyn can manufacture any way around adding Claxton to this deal, they should push for it in hopes of keeping enough of the younger core around Lillard that they don’t crater when he is out or when he eventually calls it a career.

The Brooklyn Nets better be prepared to do what it takes to keep this group together.

No decision is more key than what happens with restricted free agent Cameron Johnson. A restricted free agent this offseason, Johnson is expected to generate enough interest from other teams that things could get interesting.

“I think Detroit targets Jerami [Grant] and at least throws an offer sheet at Cam Johnson and goes after the two biggest 3-and-D wings available,” speculated The Athletic Pistons beat writer James Edwards on the ‘HoopsHype Podcast’ on June 9. “I think Brooklyn would probably match whatever realistic offer they get.”

The second half of Edwards’ statement jibes with previous reports that the Nets were indeed prepared to match any “reasonable” offers Johnson might receive in free agency.

It also fits with comments made by Nets general manager Sean Marks.

“He’s a big priority for us, Marks told reporters via the Nets’ YouTube channel during his end-of-season presser on April 23. “There’s no question there.”

Johnson averaged 16.6 points in 25 appearances for the Nets after coming over from the Phoenix Suns in a trade package for Kevin Durant. That would have been a career-high for the 27-year-old forward and came on 61% true shooting as he sunk 37.2% of his threes, adding 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 steals all of which would have set new career benchmarks.

He was even better in the postseason, albeit in a sweep, averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 boards, and 2.8 assists while shooting 42.9% from deep. But the reality is that production comes at the best time for Johnson and could put the Nets in a bit of a bind.

Cameron Johnson ‘Will Command Top Dollar’

“Regarding Cam Johnson…around four years, $90 million was his projection,” Michael Scotto of HoopsHype said in response.

That also fits with reporting from Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

“A 6-foot-8 wing who can shoot 40 percent from deep with solid defense will command top dollar,” Lewis reported on March 11. “Sources say his floor is $18 million annually, and could easily top $20 million.”

Detroit has just under $30 million in cap space, per Spotrac, while Brooklyn is roughly $15.6 million below the luxury tax line. The Pistons aren’t any close to contending for a title than the Nets are so their only true appeal would be more money since they already have Cade Cunningham in place as the face of the franchise.

They also have 2023 No. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey and No. 13 overall pick Jalen Duren manning the back line as far as their own players to develop.

Johnson could step up and be the trusted, experienced veteran of that group.

Previous reports from Scotto and Kelly Iko of The Athletic also have the Houston Rockets – who have the most money to spend this summer – as a team who could look to sign Johnson to an offer sheet while the Indiana Pacers have also been floated as a potential suitor.

Breaking Up The Band

Of course, chasing the bag could mean leaving his friend and “twin”, Mikal Bridges who is already under contract through the 2026 season on a four-year, $90 million deal.

“That’s my twin. I haven’t played an NBA game without him,” Johnson said during his exit interview via the Nets’ YouTube channel on April 23. “I mean the guy that I came into the league alongside of, and somebody that I’ve grown close to. I value those people in my life. And he is a good teammate to have…The continued opportunity to play with him would be very cool to me.”

That benchmark is one the Suns were said to be unwilling to approach for Johnson. But, under the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, a starting salary of $18 million per season would be 13.4% of the $134 million salary cap for the 2023-24 season.

Increasingly, it appears that Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard is gearing up for the moment for which folks around the NBA have been waiting: He is preparing to get together with the team’s front office and look for a trade.

Having spent 11 brilliant seasons with Portland, both the Blazers and Lillard are expected to approach the situation as a collaborative effort, the team offering deals and markets (i.e., nothing in the West, please) it would be willing to accept, and Lillard offering his input on where he’d most like to be.

But Lillard might not be making things all that easy for himself. Just this week, he told Showtime’s Last Stand show that he considers Miami and Brooklyn his top two destinations — though it should be pointed out that he was not eliminating teams like Philadelphia and New York.

One of Lillard’s close media friends, Chris Haynes of TNT, told the Dan Patrick Show that Lillard has no interest in playing for the Celtics.

“He’s not doing Boston,” Haynes said.

The more teams that are eliminated from a potential trade destination list, of course, the more difficult it becomes for the trading team to get fair value for the player. For Portland, that is a concern. Maybe Lillard would not do the Celtics, but it is not helpful to the trade process for the world to know that, not when Celtics star Jaylen Brown is, arguably, the top potential trade target in the NBA this summer.

As Kareem Abdul-Jabbar—who requested a trade from Milwaukee in 1974 under hush-hush conditions—once told me, “I don’t know why these guys all spill everything about where they want to go. If your goal is to be traded, how does that help the cause?”

Lillard Trades to Include Nurkic?

There could be a complicating factor when it comes to Lillard, too. While the team is expected to do right by Lillard to whatever extent is possible, there is also the matter of center Jusuf Nurkic, who is entering the second of a four-year, $70 million extension. Nurkic is only 28, but still, if Portland moves on from Lillard, moving Nurkic’s money would be part of the goal, too.

“I would not say it would be a package deal or anything like that,” one Eastern Conference GM told Heavy Sports. “But Portland is going to prefer where they can trade Dame and say, ‘Here’s Nurk, too.’

“Portland is looking to move on there (from Nurkic), and if you are going to have Lillard in a blockbuster kind of trade, you’d like to clear your sheet as much as possible. Put (Nurkic) into a deal and you have some more flexibility in terms of what you’re getting back, and you can get yourself really set up for rebuilding.”

Nurkic-Lillard Packages Could Have More Value

That could actually work out well for the Blazers. Nurkic has struggled to stay healthy since suffering a gruesome broken leg in March 2019, and has played in only 145 games in the last three seasons, but he is still an effective and starting-caliber center, with averages of 13.5 points and 9.8 rebounds. He’s also made an effort to stretch his game to the 3-point arc, and made a career-high 36.1% of his 3s last year on 119 tries.

He had attempted 138 total 3-pointers in eight NBA seasons before last year.

Insisting a team take back Nurkic would allow the Blazers to do a trade with the Nets that could land them Ben Simmons, Dorian Finney-Smith (who could be traded to a third team) and 24-year-old Nic Claxton, plus draft assets.

Adding Nurkic to the mix would also help in a potential Miami deal, with the Blazers having the room to take back both Kyle Lowry (as salary filler, and likely to be waived in such a deal) and Tyler Herro for Lillard. Portland could also get back Nikola Jovic and future draft assets.

It will not be easy for the Blazers to get back fair value for Lillard, and it is even harder when his desires are so publicly known. But including Nurkic would help the team get a bit more talent and youth back, and would get them out of the next three years of Nurkic’s money.

Perhaps in an act that shows his staying power in New York, Brooklyn Nets forward Mikal Bridges put on his recruiter’s cap.

His target? Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams.

Williams, 24, averaged 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while knocking down 39.5% of his threes this past season but saw his role reduced in the postseason until Boston reached the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat.

But Williams’ future in Boston is far from certain.

In a conversation with Heavy Sports NBA insider Steve Bulpett, one rival league executive explained that Williams could have been turned off by losing his spot in the rotation.

“All I know is that he filled a number of different roles for them, and other teams are seeing the same thing,” the exec tells Heavy Sports. “It’s going to be interesting to see how Boston deals with him, because it might say a lot about what they think they need to do to get past a playoff loss that never should have happened.”

As former Nets assistant general manager Bobby Marks noted, it could come down to dollars.

The non-taxpayer midlevel exception is worth $12.2 million, per Spotrac. That is a reasonable amount for a player that can contribute in the many ways Williams can.

For Brooklyn, however, even getting there could prove tricky.

Breaking Down Brooklyn’s Books

The Nets are set to be roughly $15.5 million below the luxury tax line where they will need to stay if they want to offer that nontaxpayer MLE to Williams. But their own restricted free agent, Cameron Johnson, figures to eat up that space and then some. Based on the latest reports, the Nets are prepared to do what it takes to keep him in the fold.

Brooklyn personnel has indicated the Nets’ plan to match any realistic offer sheet for the restricted free agent, ” reported Yahoo Sports NBA insider Jake Fischer on June 6.

That is certainly in line with general manager Sean Marks’ comments during his exit interview.

It could get expensive quickly.

“A 6-foot-8 wing who can shoot 40 percent from deep with solid defense will command top dollar,” wrote Brian Lewis of the New York Post on March 11. “Sources say his floor is $18 million annually, and could easily top $20 million.”

Brooklyn can always move a few of their veterans – both Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale are believed to be available.

Brooklyn could also have other ideas on targets than an undersized forward.

Nets ‘Best Fit’ for Suns’ Chris Paul

Buzz over the news of the Phoenix Suns’ plans to release point guard Chris Paul was quickly stunted by follow-up reports that they are exploring other options. Regardless of what happens, one bit of fallout from the ordeal was NBA on TNT reporter Jared Greenberg name-dropping Brooklyn as a potential “best fit” for Paul.

Bridges, Johnson, and Paul were all teammates on the Suns for two-plus seasons before the latter two were shipped to Brooklyn in a package including Jae Crowder and a handful of draft picks for Kevin Durant at the trade deadline.

Phoenix’s offensive rating ranked in the 99th percentile when all three were on the floor together this season, per Cleaning The Glass.

If the Brooklyn Nets don’t have the stomach to pony up what it might cost to pry Damian Lillard loose from the Portland Trail Blazers, perhaps they could look at Mikal Bridges’ former teammate and potential Phoenix Suns free agent Chris Paul. Paul was officially informed of his potential release on June 7, per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

Subsequent reports from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN clarified that both sides are still sorting through options.

If he is granted his unconditional release from Phoenix, Brooklyn might want to come calling.

Bridges and Paul spent the majority of the last three seasons together as teammates in Phoenix before the Suns sent the former in a package to Brooklyn for Kevin Durant at this year’s trade deadline.

The deal took an emotional toll on the Suns.

Paul, 38, was among several players and former head coach Monty Williams who spoke highly of the Nets swingman in the aftermath.

Now, Paul could have the opportunity to join Bridges in Brooklyn as Phoenix looks to avoid guaranteeing the $30.8 million cap hit for next season, the third year of a four-year, $120 million contract.

Phoenix faces many options including waiving Paul to shave $45 million off their books.

His next team – which could still be the Suns – won’t be on the hook for that which could be right up the Nets’ alley since they will have to work to avoid the luxury tax.

Chris Paul Can Still Be Effective When Healthy

Despite his advanced age for an NBA player, Paul still makes a positive impact when he’s healthy. He averaged 13.9 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.3 rebounds with 1.5 steals per game this past season and still shot better than 37% from beyond the arc.

But he also missed 23 games during the regular season and has a history of suffering injuries at the worst times.

Brooklyn will have to limit just how far they are willing to go in a potential bidding war.

Nets Have to Navigate Salary Cap

“Brooklyn enters the offseason only $10 million below the $162 million tax threshold and will likely end up a tax team after giving a new contract to [Cameron] Johnson, barring a trade of another player on the roster,” wrote former Nets assistant general manager and current ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks in his offseason guide.

Johnson is expected to see a contract that begins at $18 million annually.

“A 6-foot-8 wing who can shoot 40 percent from deep with solid defense will command top dollar,” reported Brian Lewis of the New York Post on March 11. “Sources say his floor is $18 million annually, and could easily top $20 million.”

While Bobby Marks offered a warning to Brooklyn about overvaluing the 27-year-old Johnson in his guide, Sean Marks has sounded ready to do what it takes to keep him.

Johnson will be a restricted free agent this summer so the Nets will have the right of first refusal on any offer he may receive. But getting (most of) the band back together could be a good thing – Phoenix’s plus-16.1 net efficiency differential with Bridges, Paul, and Johnson on the floor this season ranked in the 99th percentile, per Cleaning The Glass.

Don’t expect the rumors of the Brooklyn Nets swinging a trade for Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard to go away anytime soon.

Not after Lillard agreed the Nets were a team he would be open to joining if he were traded.

“Miami is the obvious one, and Bam [Adebayo] is my dog,” Lillard said on Showtime Sports’ ‘The Last Stand’ with Brian Custer on June 6. “Brooklyn is another obvious one because Mikal Bridges is my dog too. I mean both have capable rosters.”

Lillard’s affinity for Brides is well-documented with the Nets swingman being named among a group of players he would like to play with. Lillard attended Game 3 of the Nets’ first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers while Bridges has crashed Lillard’s Instagram livestream while the two have been seen partying it up together.

Lillard, 32, averaged a career-high 32.2 points on 64.5% true shooting this past season adding 7.3 assists, and 4.8 rebounds. He is also still a marksman, knocking down 37.1% of his looks from beyond the arc.

He is still under contract with Portland through the 2026-27 season so he would have to request a trade to the Nets who have already let it be known they aren’t trading Bridges.

But Lillard said he believes that he will be a Blazer by the start of next season.

That would seem to be a bucket of cold water on the smoldering embers of this long-running rumor that has even seen the Nets’ “genuine interest” confirmed by Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

But the biggest sign that this may be a deal that never was is Lillard’s actions.

Damian Lillard Building New Property in Portland

Lillard sent up alarms when it was reported that he was putting his Portland-area mansion up on the market for sale.

But, again, it was not to be as he is simply moving on to bigger and better in Portland.

“The tweet going around about Damian Lillard selling his house leaves out the part where he’s been building a new house in the same area,” tweeted out Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report on June 2, just hours after the initial twee. “The house he’s apparently selling is his old house.”

Lillard can certainly afford it after agreeing to a two-year max contract extension in July 2022 bringing the total amount he is owed over the next four years to $225 million with a $63.2 million player option and cap hit in the final season, per Spotrac.

Sean Marks Proceeding With Caution on Star Chase

Even if Lillard was available, it is unclear just how far Nets general manager Sean Marks wants to go to get him to Brooklyn.

The Nets don’t control their first-round draft picks through the 2027 season thanks to the trade for James Harden so tanking is not really an option. They also own future first-rounders from teams like the Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Phoenix Suns. Each of those teams should still be highly competitive when those picks finally convey.

Brooklyn might be better off taking the bulk of this group into next season, seeing how things play out there and in other NBA cities before making their next big decision even if that decision is to build up in a more traditional sense.

After yet another injury-shortened season, Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons is attacking his offseason rehab with a renewed level of intensity. But, for all of the positive takes coming from that intensity, he can’t escape his reputation.

The three-time All-Star tried to show off some of that progress in an Instagram story that found its way to Twitter where roasting ensued.

Simmons appeared in just 42 games this past season averaging career lows of 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists. He also missed the entire 2021-22 campaign with myriad issues and had his rookie season wiped out leading to a reputation as being injury-prone even before he became passive offensively.

He spoke on his rehab amid speculation he might suit up for the Australian National Team.

“I’m currently rehabilitating my back injury and putting my full effort and focus towards that,” Simmons said, per James McKern of The Herald Sun on May 6.

Simmons is roughly 13 months removed from having a microdiscectomy on his back which typically takes up to 18 months to recover from. He has not suffered any setbacks since being shut down with back soreness on March 28 but general manager Sean Marks will be cautious.

While both Mikal Bridges and Nic Claxton came close this past season, Simmons remains the only player on the roster with an All-Star appearance or season-long accolade to his credit.

He’s also owed more than $78 million over the next two years so Brooklyn needs a bounceback.

Nets Have to Ride Out Ben Simmons’ Contract

That contract is exorbitant for the version of Simmons that took the floor last season. Despite flashing the ability that made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2016, he often lacked “force” when he was on the floor, much to the chagrin of head coach Jacque Vaughn.

“I’ve been in this position,” wrote John Hollinger of The Athletic on May 4. “There is really no other option than to ride it out, because…what’s the alternative? Having $37 million in dead money (or $12 million in stretched money) on the cap each year, just so you can fill that roster spot with a minimum guy who might not even be any better?”

Some trade proposals for the 26-year-old Aussie have borne that out with suggested offers as low as second-round picks and salary cap relief.

The good news is it sounds like Simmons could be poised to prove his critics wrong.

“The group around Ben has noticed a complete change in Ben’s focus and mentality [through] this rehab and how he has attacked it and engaged with everything,” reported Brian Lewis of The New York Post on May 17.

Healthy Ben Simmons Could Unlock Nets’ Lineup

Bridges showed well as a primary scoring option, though his ability to create for others is a self-admitted next step in his development. Simmons offers that in spades if he can come back healthy.

At his peak, he averaged 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 7.7 assists with 1.4 steals per game (2018-19) and led the league with 2.1 steals per game in 2019-20. Of course, that was four seasons ago now, and even then he only made 57 appearances followed by 58 appearances in 2020-21.

Still, a return of that version of Simmons would be a boon for Brooklyn.

For the second consecutive year, the Brooklyn Nets were swept out of the first round of the playoffs, this time by the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite being eliminated in four games, most fans could not help but notice the fight Brooklyn put up against the Sixers. And although some of the final scores were lopsided, the Nets showing in the postseason gave fans something to be optimistic about.

After acquiring four first-round picks from the Phoenix Suns in the Kevin Durant trade, many believe that the franchise is in a prime position to add another superstar to a core that has already proven that they are ready to compete. If the Nets decide to make a trade this summer, it won’t include their recently acquired swingman, Mikal Bridges. Per Nets insider Alex Schiffer of The Athletic, the franchise has no intention to include Bridges in any potential trades.

“League and team sources who are not permitted to speak publicly about trades have previously told The Athletic the Nets aren’t interested in trading Mikal Bridges, the prized return in the Kevin Durant trade,” Schiffer writes. “They already turned down four first-round picks from the Memphis Grizzlies at the trade deadline for him.”

Nets Want Significant Haul in Any Miles Bridges Deal

Even though the Nets may be taking a stern stance on not moving Bridges, change is one thing that is constant in the NBA. Sure, Bridges played the best basketball of his career after being traded by the Suns, but that was just a small sample. And the reality of it is that even with Bridges playing out of his mind, the Nets still got swept.

Things are always subject to change in the NBA. And the rumor mill has been churning since Portland Trail Blazers All-Star point guard Damian Lillard was spotted at Barclays Center during the Nets’ first-round playoff matchup against the Sixers. Those rumors got fueled even more when the Blazers star listed his Oregon home for sale. There also has been speculation that Portland may be willing to listen to offers about the third overall pick in this year’s draft.

But Schiffer notes that in any offers that Portland proposed for Bridges, the Nets would require a significant haul.

“If the Nets were to have a change of heart, they’d want more than a pair of assets for Bridges. By trading him, the Nets would be rebuilding around Sharpe, 19, or Simons, 23, and likely either Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller depending on who the Charlotte Hornets select at No. 2,” Schiffer adds.

“It would make the Nets younger but do them no immediate favors as their 2024 first-round selection is owned by the Houston Rockets outright from the original James Harden trade.”

Miles Bridges Trade Proposal Shut Down by Insider

On the other hand, the Blazers would also have to consider what they deem fair in any potential trades this offseason. Particularly ahead of the NBA Draft in June. Like the Nets, the Blazers have a significant number of players who would be considered valuable to contending teams around the league.

In response to a trade proposal that sent Bridges to the Blazers for budding stars Shaedon Sharpe, Anfernee Simons, and the third overall pick, Schiffer called the deal “tempting” but also noted it would not necessarily put the Blazers in title contention.

“Only if Portland doesn’t feel Henderson or Miller is a sure-fire, future All-Star — and that’s a big if — would a No. 3 and Simons deal be tempting,” Schiffer added.

“Bridges is the type of player Portland desperately needs — they lack a top-tier perimeter defender and would welcome his offensive skill set — but I’m not sure Bridges puts them into the championship-contending mode everyone in Portland thinks this team is headed with a trade.”

It didn’t take long for word to spread about the Brooklyn Nets’ plans for restricted free agent Cameron Johnson.

“The Rockets do hold an interest in sharpshooter Cam Johnson, reported Yahoo Sports NBA insider Jake Fischer on June 6. “Although Brooklyn personnel has indicated the Nets’ plan to match any realistic offer sheet for the restricted free agent.”

As Fischer notes, Johnson was a part of the package the Nets got in return for sending Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns at the trade deadline. Brooklyn also got Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder – who they immediately flipped to the Milwaukee Bucks – and a handful of first-round picks including the No. 21 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft on June 22.

Houston’s interest in Johnson has been reported on by Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

The Rockets have the most money to spend this offseason and could certainly be the team that tests Brooklyn’s definition of “reasonable”. But Brooklyn brass has been open about their desire to keep him in the building.

General manager Sean Marks said so in no uncertain terms during his exit interview on April 25.

“A 6-foot-8 wing who can shoot 40 percent from deep with solid defense will command top dollar,” reported Brian Lewis of the New York Post on March 11. “Sources say his floor is $18 million annually, and could easily top $20 million.”

That would put him on par with, or even see him surpass the four-year, $90.9 million contract Bridges is signed to through the 2025-26 season.

Johnson might not be at Bridges’ level but he certainly showed well in his time with the Nets.

Cameron Johnson’s Breakout Could Cost Nets

Johnson was no bystander in Bridges’ breakout. His 16.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 steals in 25 games with Brooklyn would have been career-highs across a full season while he corrected his “dip” in efficiency from shooting 37.2% during the regular season as a Net to 42.9% in the postseason.

The 6-foot-8 sharpshooter also displayed a greater ability to put the ball on the floor and even create for others.

His friendship with Bridges is just the icing on the cake to an already-compelling argument to keep him in a Nets uniform. But holding onto Johnson does not come without risks, says former Nets executive Bobby Marks, now a front-office insider for ESPN in his season-ending review for Brooklyn.

“Nice wing,” Marks said. “Not your third-best player on a good team. Back-end starter — fourth or fifth-best player here so you’ve got to figure out what that number is going to be.”

More Teams Could Join the Bidding War

Houston isn’t the only team that could be interested in Johnson which could make things interesting. The Indiana Pacers also have a path to the requisite cap space to make a run at the former No. 11 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Brooklyn will have to massage its cap sheet to fit a deal in Johnson’s expected range and still duck the luxury tax.

A trade for a superstar would almost surely change that approach.

But the Nets could find themselves overpaying for Johnson slightly to keep this group together for a full offseason and see what they really are. If it doesn’t work, he is still young and pliable enough to any system be an attractive piece for some other team that may feel it’s one piece away from a title.

The Brooklyn Nets and their fans got to see first-hand just what Mikal Bridges is capable of. Now, the rest of the world will get its chance.

“Team USA’s roster for the upcoming FIBA World Cup in the Philippines is beginning to take shape,” reported Shams Charania of The Athletic on June 4. “And it will include at least four rising NBA stars making their American national team debut.”

Bridges is among a group that includes Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, the Los Angeles Lakers’ breakout performer Austin Reaves, and Bridges’ college teammate Jalen Brunson of the rival New York Knicks all of whom will be making their debuts for Team USA.

Training camp opens on August 6 and they play New Zealand on August 26, per Charania.

Bridges’ breakout with the Nets was one of the big storylines of the second half of the season and was a source of optimism after the collapse of the Kevin Durant–Kyrie Irving era.

Mikal Bridges Could Breakout With Team USA

The 26-year-old swingman averaged 26.1 points per game on 60.7% true shooting in 27 appearances, displaying a greater ability to create for himself than he had shown for much of his time with the Phoenix Suns in a vastly different role.

Bridges’ 30.3% usage rate in Brooklyn was 11.1% higher than it was this past season in Phoenix which was already on pace to be a career-high mark. The flashes that he showed while stepping up in the pecking order for an injury-plagued Suns team translated even in a new situation with several new teammates.

So much so that Nets general manager Sean Marks refrained from capping his ceiling.

“We’re talking about a young man that’s growing in front of our eyes,”  head coach Jacque Vaughn said via YES Network on April 22. “A great learning experience that we can’t replicate unless he goes through it. And he’s going to grow from it, he’s going to be a better player from it.”

Competing alongside and against the best in the world on the international stage could have a similar effect on the affable Bridges.

Mikal Bridges Sends Message to Former Suns Teammate

Bridges is active on Twitter from supporting his favorite baseball team, the Philadelphia Phillies, to stirring up trade rumors, to staying in contact with former teammates. He and Suns’ center Jock Landale also have an ongoing battle that seems to have begun when Landale sent a tongue-in-cheek warning to incoming prospects wanting to emulate Bridges.

And it continued with Bridges’ reaction to Landale’s take on the former’s addition to the Team USA squad.

Asked what his stat line against Team USA would be, Landale replied: “50 [points] now Mikal’s playing”.

USA and Australia are not yet slated to meet, per the Team USA website.

This past season was the duo’s first as teammates, and it only lasted until the trade deadline. But the bond appears as strong as any, though Landale did joke with former NBA player Chandler Parsons on ‘Run It Back’ that Suns fans are still protective of the Nets’ rising star even over him while Nets fans have embraced Bridges, who acknowledges he is a change from the past.

“I think Brooklyn itself had a lot going on,” Bridges said on ‘The Pivot Podcast’ on May 20. “They had Kyrie, [James] Harden, and KD. And then all that happening, and Kyrie[‘s suspension], and all that stuff. I think they were just ready for refreshing.”

They will be even happier if he can indeed parlay this upcoming experience into meaningful gains as a player.

What is generally a quiet time in most cities around the NBA has been alit with coaching news of late and the Brooklyn Nets joined the action.

“The Brooklyn Nets are hiring Kevin Ollie as an assistant coach,” reported ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski citing sources with knowledge of the situation. “Ollie, who won an NCAA championship as Connecticut’s coach in 2014, had been a finalist for the Detroit Pistons’ head-coaching job this spring.”

A 13-year NBA veteran after going undrafted out of UConn following the 1995 season, Ollie developed a reputation as a “trusted leader” in college, notes Wojnarowski. He left UConn with a 127-79 record underscored by that 2014 national title.

Ollie was fired in 2018 amid an investigation over a slew of recruiting violations, as reported by Billy Witz of the New York Times following the university’s $3.9 million payout to him:

The N.C.A.A. eventually placed Connecticut on two years’ probation in 2019 for a series of rule-skirting maneuvers under Ollie: student managers keeping statistics on pickup games and reporting back to the coaches; a video coordinator breaking down film with players; a friend of Ollie’s who was a trainer not charging players for workouts; and Ollie arranging a call between a recruit and the former Huskies stars Ray Allen and Rudy Gay.

Per Witz, Ollie was also charged with “lying to or misleading investigators”.

Both sides have agreed to not discuss the suit Ollie planned to bring against the school and he now has a position the Times notes he seemed destined for prior to the investigation, albeit a little further down the bench on Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn‘s staff.

Ollie has spent the last two seasons heading up the Overtime Elite league which has become a non-conventional pipeline for NBA talent.

Nets Promote G League Coach of the Year

Not only did the Nets bring in Ollie, but they also added Long Island Nets head coach and the 2023 G League Coach of the Year Ronnie Burrell to Vaughn’s staff, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype on June 3. Burrell, 39, rejoined Long Island last season for his second tour and has had stints with the Atlanta Hawks’ affiliate – the College Park Skyhawks – and Chicago Bulls.

He led the Long Island Nets to the best record in the G League’s Eastern Conference.

Long Island lost to the eventual champion Delaware Blue Hens, the Philadelphia 76ers affiliate, in the G League Playoffs Conference Semi-Finals. Philadelphia swept Brooklyn in the first round of this year’s playoffs.

Like Ollie years before him, Burrell went undrafted out of UNC Greensboro in 2005 but, instead of finding his way to the NBA, the 6-foot-8 forward spent time playing internationally until 2011.

Nets’ Coaching Hires Could Signal Franchise’s Next Direction

Much has been made about the Nets possibly making a big splash this offseason since their best players are entering their prime and they don’t control their first-round picks for the next few years.

Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has been a popular if unlikely trade target.

General manager Sean Marks pumped the brakes on that a bit, however, during his exit interview on April 25.

That has not stopped the rumors from swirling but, perhaps, these signings give a better idea of which direction this team is looking to go as it reshapes its identity again.