Brooklyn Nets

2020-2021 Finish: 27-55

Season Highlight: 

There�s no denying it, it was a rough season for the Nets. They regressed in the win column from last year, their stars were hurt and they didn�t have a first round pick. One bright spot that�s often overlooked when looking at a franchise: the GM. Breece stayed strong with his team this year and last and will look to right the ship next year.

Season Lowlight: 

It�s not the best season when you have 55 losses. They took a step back from the season before when they went 34-48. Injuries really hampered this squad as they saw Jamal Murray only suit up for 49 games and Dangelo Russell only played 48 games. When your two best players miss half the season, it�s tough to win games in this league. The talent gap is too wide.

Best Trade:

The Brooklyn Nets send Andre Drummond to the Phoenix Suns. The Phoenix Suns send Jusuf Nurkic and Derrick Jones Jr. to the Brooklyn Nets. The Phoenix Suns send Nicolas Batum to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Nets send away the big man who eats up rebounds and was generally a beast in 2k but who was expiring and get back a big in Nurkic who some consider to still be on the rise. The question remains can he stay healthy?

Other Notable Trades:

The Brooklyn Nets send Reggie Jackson to the San Antonio Spurs. The San Antonio Spurs send Cameron Payne to the Brooklyn Nets.
The San Antonio Spurs send a 2nd-Rounder (Hou) to the Brooklyn Nets.

Brooklyn sends out the more talented player currently but Payne was showing some promise last season. Payne is also a FA currently so getting him locked up will work out for the team.

The Brooklyn Nets send Jakob Poeltl to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Portland Trail Blazers send Jeremy Lamb to the Brooklyn Nets.
The Brooklyn Nets send a 2nd-Rounder (Bkn) to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Brutal timing on this one. Jeremy Lamb was hurt a week after this trade was finalized. Injuries are the theme of the year for this team.

Free Agency:

Cameron Payne is the only free agent on the roster for the Nets. He�s likely to remain with the team after reports indicate a 3 year deal is imminent.

Star: 

Jamal Murray � it�s difficult to really pick a star when the top half of the roster is hurt but Murray will be the one to carry the franchise. He put up his best averages across the board last year since the NSL�s inception, posting nearly 25 points per game, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. A full year of Murray will go a long way to lift this team�s chances.

Goat:

Jarrett Culver � the second year player only suited up for 24 games this season and saw his points per game drop from 12.9 to just 6. I�m sure Breece and the rest of the organization had much higher hopes for this young man. Hopefully he can stay healthy and get meaningful minutes this upcoming season.

Draft:

Herbert Jones � the 41st selection in the 2021 NSL Draft, Herbert Jones is a wing who excels on the defensive end of the floor. At Alabama, he averaged 11.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks, becoming the SEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Not a bad get at 41!

Isaiah Livers � Livers was one of those players who slipped a bit from the NBA draft, going 3 spots later at 45. Nets fans have reason to be excited as he has shown strong 2 way potential both at Michigan and in the summer league. 

Dalano Banton � Banton can be described with one word: grit. He�s an older player at 22 but he has what everyone wants, potential. He�s a lottery ticket but not a bad one to place your bets on.

The Future:

I think we�ll see Brooklyn in the mix for a late playoff spot next year barring any injuries. There is a 2 headed monster in Russell and Murray that is tough to stop and with Nurkic down low, they are a tough team.  They don�t currently have their 2022 first round pick in their possession so winning will be at the forefront of the front office�s minds. In fact, the next Nets 1st rounder they own is in 2024. This team wants to win now. They might have to get creative financially as the team sits $10 million over the cap going into free agency but breece is a veteran GM who can work the phones and get a deal done if need be. While the last couple of years haven�t been kind to this franchise, I think the 2021-2022 season will be one to keep an eye on for the Nets.