What is Best for the Nets Picks

[BornReady]

I think it looks good for us even if they have thad young and plumlee for their future

This year they are drafting from the bottom of the first round so chances they get a good player that can immediately contribute is slim

They seemed capped up and Prokorov looks like he doesn't want to rush it again to try win a championship and is actually looking to sell it considering thrones he has lost from that 2013- 2014 nets team that couldn't even make it to WCF in a poor East team

So I don't think the nets are going to try sign any major or good free agents that can push them into the playoffs with a number of teams in the east most likely to improve from this bad season e.g. Pistons, New York, Indiana and Charlotte

[Eddie20]

Instead of thinking about the Nets improving, think about it this way:

It's unlikely that the Nets will be better than the Hawks (1), Cavs (2) or Raptors (3) next year.

The Wizards (4) will probably have a new coach and improve as a result, even if they lose a starter or two. 

The Bulls (5) will still have Mirotic, Gasol and Noah, even if they lose Butler, Thibs and Rose.  That's better than the Nets.

The Bucks (6) should have Jabari all year.

The Heat (7) will have Bosh and a full season of Whiteside.

The Pacers ( 8 ) will have PG back and a lottery pick.  Those spaces are just so it doesn't go like this (

So what could the Nets do to top any of those 8 teams?  (Also disclaimer: those numbers aren't the order that I think they will finish, it's just to point out that there are 8 teams above where I think the Nets will finish, no matter what the Nets do.)

We have a good chance at either a lotto pick or a max FA, the Hornets are adding a lotto pick and were good last year, the 76ers could do a bunch of trades and get the Lakers' #6 pick in combination with their own pick, the Knicks could pull off a coup, etc. 

So basically, the Nets could do what exactly to improve?  They could either resign Lopez and have their cap tied up to a player that will be injured half the year, or they could let him walk and replace him with who?  Who are they drafting with the ATL pick that will skyrocket them past any of those teams?  If anything, they'll probably be worse next year!

Agreed on all points. So if that holds true, we could potentially have 3 lottery picks next season.

Who will Dallas surpass?

Blazers
OKC
Grizzlies
Rockets
Spurs
Warriors
Clippers

That's 7 right there. So the aging Mavericks, who have plenty of free agents of their own, will be fighting it out with the following teams for the last playoff spot:

Pelicans...Davis is improving by the day and the team on the whole is on the rise.

Suns...they've been sniffing the playoffs for the last couple of seasons and the gap between them and the Mavs is shrinking fast.

Jazz...Haywood, Favors, Gobert, etc. have made the Jazz one of the most promising teams in the league. They've quietly had a very good record since the break.

Lakers...Only if they're able to land Love and keep their top 5 pick. Adding Love, and say a more NBA ready player like a Russell or Winslow, to add to Kobe and Randle could make them at least a threat to surpass the Mavs in the standings.

Wolves...dangerous young team that will probably be adding an Okafor or Towns this summer, to go along with Wiggins, Rubio, Lavine, Dieng, etc. Could their young players improve enough to better the Mavs? Doubtful.

Kings...they have Cousins, but their ownership is so dysfunctional that it really hurts their odds.

Nuggets...they're a mess. No chance.

[tazzmaniac]

I think there is a decent chance the Nets will be the second or third worst team in the eastern conference next year.  Even if Lopez opts out they still won't have cap space.  Even if he opts in he is injured every year, you are also probably stuck with an injury prone Williams, and now Johnson will be in his mid 30s.  How much trade value do any of these guys really have.

The Knicks will have a good amount of cap space and a returning Melo.  They could leapfrog the Nets.

The Magic and Pistons like us have young improving talent plus lotto picks for the Pistons and Magic again this year.

The Hornets if they re-sign Jefferson should be right back where they are now.  That team could go down quickly though if he leaves.  They don't have much scoring besides him and Walker.

The Pacers could be much better next year with a healthy George.

I don't see the rest of the playoff teams now really regressing that much.  The Heat will get Bosh back.

If you look at the bottom feeders out west you could say the Jazz, Kings, and Wolves all have better talent than the Nets, and I would they those teams should improve.

The Lakers will get Kobe and Randle back, another top pick this year, and loads of cap space.

I could see the Nuggets regressing next year.

I think the Nets are really stuck.  Things don't look too promising for them.

The Nets could be that bad but you are depending on a bunch of bad teams to make significant improvement.  Rookies rarely improve a team much in the short term.   

The Knicks were terrible when Anthony was healthy and they were actually trying to win.  They are going to have to make some big moves in free agency. 

The Magic may be a young improving team but they still have the 5th worst record.  They could lose Harris in free agency. 

The Pistons have the dead weight of Josh Smith's contract killing their cap space.   There is a good chance they lose Monroe or Jackson (possibly both) in free agency.   

I agree on the Hornets.  I don't see them getting much better and they could get significantly worse. 

The Pacers should be a lot better.  Hibbert could leave but he'll probably opt in. 

For the Heat, Wade, Deng and Dragic have player options.  There's a good chance they lose Deng or Dragic.  There's no guarantee how well Bosh comes back from his injury and Wade is always a health risk. 

If the Nets make the playoffs, it doesn't matter what the teams in the West do.  We'll end up with the 15th or 16th pick. 

I don't see the T-Wolves improving all that much.  If they do, they risk losing their 1st rounder to us.  The Kings are still the Kings.  The Jazz should improve some. 

I hope and expect the Lakers to be bad again next season.  My fear is they win the Lottery and leverage that to get a star. 

[Rakulp]

It wouldn't surprise me a bit if the Nets picks end up being more valuable to us as trading chips rather than using them in the draft.  The uncertainty factor may motivate teams to gamble on those picks in any potential sign and trade scenario.  I don't have a specific target in mind, but just believe that is a possible outcome.

Either way, the next three years are going to be interesting!

Rak

[LGC88]

Those nets pick are boring to me.
There will always be at least 5 teams worst than the nets who want to tank.
The nets even if they become really bad, will finish above those teams, because they have to win for the sole purpose of not giving us too much value.
The next 2 years, we should expect pick #12 - 18. And 2018 might be around #10 at best.
The nets were shopping Williams and Lopez, they will get decent players in return or maybe good picks. I don't see how they can get any worse than they are right now.