Post-Mortem: 2022-23 Brooklyn Nets

[ElectricMayhem]

The roller coaster of a year has ended with being the first team out of the playoffs.

Here is the data from previous years' Post-Mortems:
2020-21:

Spoiler:

Post-Mortem Results I: GM Confidence Meter
Post-Mortem Results II: Coaching Confidence Meter
Post-Mortem Results III: Performance Compared to Expectations
Post-Mortem Results IV: Rising/Treadmill/Waning

2021-22:
2021-22 Post Mortem Final Summary

Team Name: Brooklyn Nets
Record at Time of Death: 45-37 (.549) (1st Round Loss)
Head of Front Office: Sean Marks (2016-)
Coach: Jacque Vaughn (2022-)

Offensive Rating: 12th
Defensive Rating: 16th
Rebound %: 29th
Turnover %: 16th

Front Office: Change or keep?
Coach: Change or keep?
Relative to expectations, how did they fare this year?
Rising, falling, or treadmill?
If you were in charge, what would you do this offseason?

Notes:
Players under contract next year:
Ben Simmons ($38m)
Mikal Bridges ($22m)
Spencer Dinwiddie ($20m) (Partially Guaranteed)
Joe Harris ($20m)
Dorian Finney-Smith ($14m)
Royce O'Neale ($10m) (Partially Guaranteed)
Nic Claxton ($9m)
Patty Mills ($7m)
Edmond Sumner ($2m) (Partially Guaranteed)

Team Options:
Cam Thomas
Day'Ron Sharpe

Player Options:

Free Agents:
Seth Curry
Cameron Johnson
Yuta Watanabe
Dru Smith
RaiQuan Gray
David Duke Jr.

Dead Money:

Previous Post-Mortems:
30. Houston Rockets
29. San Antonio Spurs
28. Detroit Pistons
27. Charlotte Hornets
26. Portland Trail Blazers
25. Indiana Pacers
24. Washington Wizards
23. Orlando Magic
22. Utah Jazz
21. Dallas Mavericks
20. Toronto Raptors
19. New Orleans Pelicans
18. Chicago Bulls
17. Oklahoma City Thunder
16. Brooklyn Nets

[AIfan3]

Unless they can rid themselves of that Simmons contract and/or can land another big time FA, they're unfortunately headed for that treadmill.

[dakomish23]

Start with keeping Mikal and Cam and work from there. Sell off what you can.

[XtremeDunkz]

Start with keeping Mikal and Cam and work from there. Sell off what you can.

Honestly a better plan would be to trade everything of value for picks and start fresh. No need to keep above average players that are gonna do nothing but keep you away from a top 5 pick.

If the goal is competing thats what you have to do

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[giberish]

Started the year with a lot of talent and a lot of uncertainty. Looked good for a while during a few months when everyone shut up and played. Then fell apart.

Lack control of their own picks so the RealGM go-to move of selling everything is a very poor plan.

Really need a star guard to complement their solid forward/center options. Bridges can be more than a 4th option but isn't a 1st option for offense-creation. Have a bunch of other teams picks to offer to make a deal, and they don't need to chase only the super young guys with more mid-career forwards as their core. Could even sacrifice one quality 3/D forward (likley O'Neal or DFS) in a deal.

I've always expected Simmons to be a guy who declines early and have no faith in him ever being much on-court use again. If someone else thinks that he's salvageable and is willing to take him for limited incentive then BK should eagerly move him. If not then it's probably better to keep him (painfully) on the books and hope.

[dakomish23]

Start with keeping Mikal and Cam and work from there. Sell off what you can.

Honestly a better plan would be to trade everything of value for picks and start fresh. No need to keep above average players that are gonna do nothing but keep you away from a top 5 pick.

If the goal is competing thats what you have to do

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

They can tank plenty in the East with just those two. Though the outstanding picks might get in the way of that

Spoiler:

Incoming
2023 first round draft pick from Phoenix
Phoenix's 2023 1st round pick to Brooklyn [Brooklyn-Indiana-Milwaukee-Phoenix, 2/9/2023]

2025 first round draft pick from Phoenix
Phoenix's 2025 1st round pick to Brooklyn [Brooklyn-Indiana-Milwaukee-Phoenix, 2/9/2023]

2025 second round draft pick from Miami
Miami's 2025 2nd round pick to Indiana protected for selections 38-60 or to Brooklyn protected for selections 31-37 (Miami's obligation to Indiana or Brooklyn will thereafter be extinguished) (via Indiana) [Indiana-Miami-Phoenix, 7/6/2019; Brooklyn-Indiana, 10/6/2021]

2027 first round draft pick from Philadelphia
At least two years after Philadelphia conveys a 1st round pick to Oklahoma City if this pick is conveyed to Oklahoma City by 2026, Philadelphia's 1st round pick to Brooklyn protected for selections 1-8 in 2027 and 1-8 in 2028; if Philadelphia has not conveyed a 1st round pick to Brooklyn by 2028, then Philadelphia will instead convey its 2028 2nd round pick to Brooklyn; Brooklyn may convey the Philadelphia pick, if conveyed to Brooklyn in 2028, to Phoenix (see Brooklyn Incoming) [Brooklyn-Philadelphia, 2/10/2022]

2027 first round draft pick from Phoenix
Phoenix's 2027 1st round pick to Brooklyn [Brooklyn-Indiana-Milwaukee-Phoenix, 2/9/2023]

2027 second round draft pick from Dallas
Dallas' 2027 2nd round pick to Brooklyn [Brooklyn-Dallas, 2/6/2023]

2028 first round draft pick from Phoenix (swap, Brooklyn or Philadelphia outgoing)
Brooklyn has the right to swap its 2028 1st round pick or, if conveyed to Brooklyn, Philadelphia's 2028 1st round pick for Phoenix's 2028 1st round pick [Brooklyn-Indiana-Milwaukee-Phoenix, 2/9/2023]

2028 second round draft pick from Milwaukee
Milwaukee's 2028 2nd round pick to Brooklyn [Brooklyn-Indiana-Milwaukee-Phoenix, 2/9/2023]

2029 first round draft pick from Dallas
Dallas' 2029 1st round pick to Brooklyn [Brooklyn-Dallas, 2/6/2023]

2029 first round draft pick from Phoenix
Phoenix's 2029 1st round pick to Brooklyn [Brooklyn-Indiana-Milwaukee-Phoenix, 2/9/2023]

2029 second round draft pick from Dallas
Dallas' 2029 2nd round pick to Brooklyn [Brooklyn-Dallas, 2/6/2023]

2029 second round draft pick from Milwaukee
Milwaukee's 2029 2nd round pick to Brooklyn [Brooklyn-Indiana-Milwaukee-Phoenix, 2/9/2023]

Outgoing

2024 first round draft pick to Houston
Brooklyn's 2024 1st round pick to Houston [Brooklyn-Cleveland-Houston-Indiana, 1/16/2021]

2024 second round draft pick to Houston
Brooklyn's 2024 2nd round pick to Houston [Brooklyn-Houston, 10/6/2021]

2025 first round draft pick to Houston (swap, Oklahoma City or Houston incoming)
Oklahoma City has the right to swap its 2025 1st round pick for Houston's 2025 1st round pick protected for selections 1-10 or the L.A. Clippers' 2025 1st round pick; Houston then has the right to swap its pick or the Oklahoma City pick for Brooklyn's 2025 1st round pick; if the Houston pick falls within its protected range, then Houston's obligation to Oklahoma City will be extinguished and Houston will instead receive the more favorable of its pick and the Brooklyn pick and Brooklyn will receive the less favorable of the two [L.A. Clippers-Oklahoma City, 7/10/2019; Houston-Oklahoma City, 7/16/2019; Brooklyn-Cleveland-Houston-Indiana, 1/16/2021]

2025 second round draft pick to New York
Brooklyn's 2025 2nd round pick to New York (via Atlanta) [Atlanta-Brooklyn, 7/13/2018; Atlanta-New York, 1/13/2022]

2026 first round draft pick to Houston
Brooklyn's 2026 1st round pick to Houston [Brooklyn-Cleveland-Houston-Indiana, 1/16/2021]

2027 first round draft pick to Houston (swap, Houston incoming)
Houston has the right to swap its 2027 1st round pick for Brooklyn's 2027 1st round pick [Brooklyn-Cleveland-Houston-Indiana, 1/16/2021]

2027 second round draft pick to Detroit
Brooklyn's 2027 2nd round pick to Detroit [Brooklyn-Detroit, 9/4/2021]

[Mr Peanut]

They're in a tough spot as with their current roster they're a play-in team without too much room for internal development, and they can't really do a proper blow up and rebuild as their own first round pick is owed to other teams for the next 4 years.

[itrsteve]

Start with keeping Mikal and Cam and work from there. Sell off what you can.

Pretty much this.

Sucks that they’re stuck with Simmon’s contract, but they’re back to being a likable team again and shedded themselves of all external BS.

[ElectricMayhem]

The Brooklyn Nets broke up a well-coached team that played hard and was fun to watch to go all in on Durant, Irving, and erm, DeAndre Jordan. I hated it for them but also completely understood it. The team they had definitely wasn't on their way to winning any championships. They were just feel-good overachievers. Stars win in this league and Brooklyn had just gotten a couple of them and then found a way to get a devalued Harden as well. The Nets catered to their stars' every whim. They fired a good coach to give a guy with no credentials as a coach the job. Irving felt he was both a co-manager and co-GM of the team. It turned into the car wreck we couldn't take our eyes from, especially when Harden got shipped out for Ben Simmons.

Now, interestingly, we are left with a group of hardworking, mostly likeable players in the aftermath who clawed and scratched their way to a 13-15 record after the Durant trade. Only now, they have significantly less assets than they had before this superstar appeasement journey began.

I don't necessarily blame the front office. They gave it a shot and they may have been a Kevin Durant clown shoe away from winning it all. Then things would've unfolded in a much different way and their reputations, would have been forever affected. So they took a swing at glory and came up short. When you can see the logic in what they did, and see a potential path to their goal, you don't necessarily put it on the front office. I'm curious to see how this experience plays into what they try to do in the future.

As for Vaughn, I'm not high on him at all just from his disastrous Orlando Magic tenure. But he didn't do a bad job given what he had to work with. The team improved after Nash was fired. Maybe players were dragging their feet to get Nash fired, I don't know. Maybe Vaughn has grown as a coach. Maybe Orlando wasn't the right fit. I do think Vaughn deserves the chance to continue. But I wouldn't blame them if they could grab a coach out there like Nurse.

It's tough when so much money is tied up in a malingerer the next couple years. All they can do is hope he gets both his back and head straightened out and he returns to all-star form. It's definitely a long shot, but that would go a long way towards giving the Nets options.

If I were the nets, I'd try to keep Cameron Johnson, but outside Bridges, he doesn't have much connection to the team. He played there a couple months and now he can go where he wants. I'd say, more than likely, he's out. He should be in demand. They can try to win with what they have or they can try to collect other teams' draft picks since they don't have many of their own. I'd opt for the prior because it sucks to be bad without your own picks.

[mattao313]

Sign Cam johnson back and run it back another season and be sellers at the deadline and fully blow it up next off-season.

Sent from my SM-A528B using RealGM mobile app

[Ni Da Ye]

Nets should have tanked like Mavs. LOL

[CelticSooner]

Nets have a tank commander at HC. Their offensive “system” doesn’t exist.

[QingJames]

They gave it a shot and they may have been a Kevin Durant clown shoe away from winning it all..

Good post on the whole but can we let this meme die already? They were not an inch away from the championship or whatever way you want to put it. They lost in the second round. They didn’t sniff the championship.

[Clav]

This was a roller coaster for the Nets. After all this multi-year maneuvering for top-tier talent now has BKN left to recoup nice prospects and players from other team's picks and flip the vets for a brand new timeline. I bet no one is safe on the roster (Bridges or Johnson would be the two I keep, but there's always a "right price" and those guys are the two best players so they could get FRPs back... That's always enticing). Who know about everyone else. Teams need those kind of players.

Vaughn was getting COY nods after going on the run with KD and Irving [post-Nash firing] but that all fell apart as those two guys pushed their way out ? Is that the right term ? I don't know, nothing that BKN did to cater to these guys worked in the end.

Add on Simmons, who needs to get either healthy or inspired to be the floor general, or his career is going to be short in no time. Honestly, just the black spot of his contract is weighing the team down, at least they have solid players to reposition, but ****, what a bad place to be in when the chance at a deep playoff run was literally inches away with that Durant 3pter vs Milwaukee.

[Phish Tank]

I mentioned this on the Nets board, so I'll repeat here, with a few tweaks in language:

Ideally, I suggest firing Sean Marks. How many opportunities do you get in rebuilding a team. However, I don't see Tsai doing that. Therefore, Marks will get a 3rd opportunity to rebuild the Nets.

The Nets have picks this year, 2025, and 2027 onwards. It's not a perfect scenario because of the swaps with the Rockets, but the draft capital they'll receive via PHX & Dallas (with some credit to the 76ers in between) should ease the pain.

At 21 & 22 this year, the Nets don't have the greatest options to move up, but they may not necessarily want to keep both rooks on roster (especially if Jacque Vaughn's coaching).

With that said, here's the roster:

MUST KEEP:

1) Mikal: Duh
2) Nic Claxton: Keep (because he's cheap), BUT...... if you can upgrade........
3) Cam Thomas: duh
4) Dayron Sharpe: see what you have got in him
5) Sumner: same as above
6) Yuta
7) One of Royce or DFS

YOU'RE STUCK:

1) Ben Simmons: Trading him will be hard. He's negative value at this point. They can try to rehabilitate the value, but that was supposed to happen this year and it didn't. With his contract expiring in 2024, they won't get too many takers unless it involves giving up a lot of picks. However, those PHX picks aren't the ones they'll want. They'd want 2028-30 FRPs, which is dangerous territory if you're the Nets. I don't think there's the package for Lillard either.
2) Patty Mills: They'd want to keep him if Ben's around. Fortunately, he's expiring.

SIGN, BUT.....

1) Cam Johnson: The Nets can probably get him at a similar value to what the Suns signed Mikal. That's fine. NOW..... if the Hawks are seriously considering trading Trae Young, they may want to bite the bullet and consider a S&T involving both Cams, some of those picks, and filler (as mentioned below)

TRADE, IF YOU CAN:

1) Dinwiddie: But make sure there's a PG on the roster (not Ben Simmons)
2) One of Royce or DFS: Both are serviceable, but the Nets don't need both on your roster. Pick one and keep the other. They may get a late 1st from a good team, which the team can repackage elsewhere.
3) Joe Harris: Big expiring, which it'll make hard to trade, but there's no point having him on the roster now with Bridges here. Maybe trade him to get a few smaller contracts. But he's a lower priority trade

DON'T SIGN:

1) Seth Curry: Good, but not worth expending resources to keep him.


Now keep in mind that the Nets can't tank next year. But the Nets are also not going to get a significant upgrade (unless they're lucky to swing Trae Young, but you're gonna be in a similar position as you are now). Is it worth it?

As for Vaughn, keep him for the tank.

[Karate Diop]

This exact roster caps out as a .500 team at best assuming Simmons and Harris don't return to their previous level of play...

A clearcut direction would be nice. New point guard would be welcomed (Dinwiddie isn't bad but is more of a 6th man), a stretch 5 that would allow the Nets to field a two big lineup with Claxton would solve a lot of issues...

[kenwood3333]

Some key information missing here for this team are: what picks they owe and own in the next few years.

[KIRAG]

Keep the former Suns players, Claxton

Get rid of Joe Harris

Deprogram Ben Simmons brain

Hire a good coach

[Kent]

Unless you see Bridges being "the guy" in the next 2-5 years, you have to be willing to trade him now.

Since they don't have their own picks for the next however many years, they need to get their own. Otherwise you're spinning your tires and wasting time.

It doesn't mean you have to host a fire sale this summer, but figure out whether Bridges value is high enough now or inflate it this upcoming season and build up that war chest.

[Pointgod]

Free my man Cam Thomas.