5 free agents Brooklyn Nets must target in the 2021 NBA off-season
The Brooklyn Nets were widely regarded as favorites to bag the Larry O'Brien trophy this season because of the star-studded squad they had assembled.
The acquisition of James Harden in February to form a superteam comprising Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant was a clear indication that the Nets looked to go all-out in their pursuit of the championship.
Multiple veteran stars like Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge also joined the Brooklyn Nets, making them the oddsmakers' overwhelming favorites to win the 2021 NBA Championship. Aldridge unexpectedly retired in April due to health concerns, but the Nets still looked on course to go all the way this year.
They had finished the regular season as the second seed in the Eastern Conference, with a 48-24 record. That was despite the Nets playing their 'big-three' together only eight times together during the course of the regular season due to injuries.
The Brooklyn Nets started the postseason with a scintillating first-round series win over the Boston Celtics, beating them 4-1 to advance to the next round. The Nets boasted a healthy roster and had all their key rotation players available.
Their NBA Playoffs campaign got derailed in the next round, though, as James Harden and Kyrie Irving suffered injuries. As a result, the Brooklyn Nets lost 3-4 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Many believed that had the injury bug not hit them, the Nets had a great chance of making the NBA Finals.
But that did not happen, and despite their best efforts, Steve Nash's men saw their campaign come to an end earlier than they would have expected it to. Nonetheless, they have a full off-season to prepare for the next season as they eye another run at the title.
For that to happen, though, the Brooklyn Nets will have to be a busy team this off-season and make key acquisitions that would help them win the championship. Quite a few of their role players are going to enter free agency this year, so they have huge decisions to make in that regard.
On that note, let's take a look at five players the Brooklyn Nets should look to pursue in the 2021 NBA Free Agency.
#5 Goran Dragic
The Miami Heat have a $19.5 million team option on Goran Dragic this summer. If the Heat decline that option, he will become an unrestricted free agent in the off-season. Various reports suggest that they could also extend that option to use Dragic as a trade block. His salary would be perfect for them to acquire guards they have been pursuing this summer.
One such prospect they are looking at is the Brooklyn Nets' Spencer Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie declined his player option and is now an unrestricted free agent. The Nets are looking to use him in a sign-and-trade deal, which would help them replace Dinwiddie with a quality role player or two.
It will be an intriguing proposition for the Miami Heat and the Brooklyn Nets if they agree on a sign-and-trade for the two players. Dinwiddie is expected to be offered contracts around $15-20 million, while Dragic has a $19.5 million team option.
The two players' salaries being similar, both teams won't have to worry about taking cap hits if they work a deal out. Dragic would be a quality addition to the Nets' roster because of his scoring prowess off the bench. The former Sixth Man of the Year winner averaged 13.4 points and 4.4 assists per game last season.
The Brooklyn Nets desperately needed more production from their bench unit in the 2021 NBA playoffs, but their role players failed to deliver. Dragic's experience could come in handy in this regard. He could be an excellent cover in case either Irving or Harden endure injuries and miss key games.
#4 Bruce Brown
The Brooklyn Nets' own free agent Bruce Brown is next on the list. Brown had a decent season for his team last season and was tremendous in providing cover either on the backcourt or the frontcourt.
The Nets need to keep hold of players who are defensively sound, and Brown is definitely one player they should consider re-signing.
The 24-year-old swingman averaged 8.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game off the bench, shooting 55.6% from the floor, last season. He has had multiple 20-point games in the regular season, proving that he has a lot of potential.
Brown himself was motivated to continue with the Brooklyn Nets when asked about free agency post his team's elimination from the playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks. He had said:
“I hope I’m here. I know my contract is up, but I hope I’m staying in Brooklyn. I love playing with these guys. They made me better this year.”
Brown is a restricted free agent, and the Brooklyn Nets could make him a $4.7 million qualifying offer. They also have his bird rights and can match offer sheets from other teams and re-sign him even if they go over the salary cap.
According to rumors, executives believe he will likely be offered around $4-7 million by his potential suitors, which the Nets should not have a problem to match.