CelticsBlog Challenge - Fix the Nets

[Granath]

I know there are a lot of Nets threads right now because many of us are drooling over the potential of getting a very high draft pick, so I'll (semi) apologize for adding one more. But let's have some fun with this. I've been thinking on this and I can't figure out a way. How do you fix the Nets at this juncture?

Let's say today you're hired as GM of the Nets. How do you realistically improve this team? How do you dig them out of a massive hole where they probably aren't going to use their own 1st rounder for the next three years? Since it needs to be realistic, let me state a few rules to start:

1. The Nets will not attract a top FA in the 2016 off-season. There's no way that any great FA is headed to a team with so few prospects. Overpaying for mid-tier FAs is possible but even that isn't highly likely as there will be 20+ teams with massive cap space this offseason.

2. Trading Brook Lopez will net a young player and a decent but lottery protected 1st round choice. Trading Thaddeus Young will net you a later 1st round pick (at best). Joe Johnson will net you a bag of Doritos.

That's it. So for all the armchair GMs in the audience, go to it!

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As for my own solution, I'm...stuck. If you blow it up now, you simply don't have the picks to add to whatever pieces you get for Brook Lopez, who is really the only valuable trade asset on the team. So if you destroy it now you simply can't build it back up.

At the same time, this team as constructed is probably not better than a 32 win team at the best of times. Overpaying for a lower-tier FA isn't going to make enough of a difference for this team to compete. Statistically, their best players are at the very end of their peak years. That doesn't mean that guys like Lopez won't be effective in 2017 or 2018, but 24 to 27 is the prime time and Lopez and Young are already 27. Their trade value is going to steadily decline from here on out.

Thus you can't hold out trying to pretend to compete until 2019. You simply can't lose with no young players and no hope in 2016, 2017, 2018 and THEN blow it up when you can get your pick back in 2019. You'll lose the fan base and in the meanwhile your best trade-able assets are slowly wasted.

I'd almost be tempted to try to trade my way to a Paul Westphal type team where you simply try to outscore the opposing team. It won't work but it's a crowd-pleasing type of basketball and the inflated statistics from such a fast pace tends to boost the value of your players.

----

So with all that in mind, here's what I think I'd do. I simply don't think this team can win. And if that's the case, even though I can't control my picks for the next 3 years I still need to move on from this group.

Assuming the losses continue to pile up in 2016, I wait until the deadline and make the best deal I can for Brook Lopez and/or Thaddeus Young. I want 1st round picks in next years' draft. I also want a decent, young, scrappy player coming back for Lopez. No, I don't have a particular trade partner. I just to get the most out of my assets before they are wasted. It's much better to deal them now then wait until they are older and/or demand a trade (where my leverage would be gone).

In the draft, I go after guys who have a sense of maturity (in short, who can withstanding the inevitable losing) who are long-term projects. During free agency, I make a massive bid for Harrison Barnes whom I try to attract by giving him the max money and making him the unquestioned #1 on the squad. Hopefully that appeals to him (or someone like him). I know it's probably and overpay but I need a face of the franchise. A scorer like Eric Gordon is high on my FA list, as is Greivis Vasquez.

The hope is that the losses in 2016 are "blamed" on the outgoing players by the fans and they see a somewhat new, exciting group coming in to play an up-tempo game. I'm looking to give the fans hope, even if it's not every realistic, to tide me over for a couple of years.

Over the 2017 and 2018 seasons, I look for young, tough, role playing guys to come in and take on a larger role...aka Jae Crowder types. The team is going to lose, and badly, but I want to build a foundation so my top pick in 2019 has some support because no matter who gets drafted they'll be tagged as the saviors of the franchise.

[moiso]

Lopez exited a game the other night with more foot pain.  X rays were negative though.

The Nets are kind of in a no win situation for a few years.  I think I would trade everyone that I can for picks that will come in when they stop handing them over to the Celtics.  And sign some fan favorite types such as Nate Robinson to try to make the losses a little more interesting to the fans.  It must be horrible to be a Nets fan now.

[trickybilly]

TP for Nate Rob thing. Funteam Nets sounds great: Javale, Kendrick Perkins, Swaggy, Jared Dudley.. Hell, get Lamar Odom ON THAT ROSTER SOMEHOW.

[Moranis]

I'd see if I could get someone like Derrick Rose using JJ and RHJ.  Not sure that would be enough for the Bulls, but would add some real life to the Nets. 

[Who]

They wrecked their team in the offseason. Should have kept Deron Williams & Teletovic & added quality bench players instead of the likes of Bargnani. They could have stayed in the playoffs until more cap space opened up for them.

There is nothing much they can do now. The damage is done.

They have to wait and live through this pain until next summer. Then try and add something in free agency. They won't get any of the top talent but they can overpay for some of the up and coming talent and/or quality role players.

[Denis998]

I've read that they recently acquired a dleague team. If they swap their roster with the dleague one, they might win a few more games.

[pokeKingCurtis]

I agree with going young and going for prospects/picks. **** it all and start anew.

Swing for the fences but also snatch up all the obvious value plays in terms of young prospects. Replenish your capital.

But I'm suspecting there might be instructions from owners/management to make this team keep fighting.

I also suspect that shareholders are seeking short term gains over the long term well being of the team, as well as internal fights. It's strange how objectively dysfunctional this team is...but then again it's Billy King.

[Hemingway]

Look to get guys who are more well known then they are good to try to put butts in the seats.

[GetLucky]

1) Turn on NBA2k16
2) Select "MyGM" game mode
3) Go to "Settings"
4) Press the button next to "CPU Trade Logic" so that it says "Off"

[Moranis]

They wrecked their team in the offseason. Should have kept Deron Williams & Teletovic & added quality bench players instead of the likes of Bargnani. They could have stayed in the playoffs until more cap space opened up for them.

There is nothing much they can do now. The damage is done.

They have to wait and live through this pain until next summer. Then try and add something in free agency. They won't get any of the top talent but they can overpay for some of the up and coming talent and/or quality role players.

I could easily see them going after guys like JR Smith on 2 yr, 20 million type contracts.  Not the stars and not up and comers, but guys that if you get a few of will allow them to put together a lower end playoff team (when paired with Lopez, Young, etc.).  I'm sure there will be teams looking to dump players as well that they could potentially acquire.  A guy like Anderson Varejao comes to mind.  No one great, but players that would give Brooklyn some depth and a real shot at the playoffs, which is fine for the next 3 years. 

[PhoSita]

Manage minutes for Brook Lopez this season.  Don't overplay Thaddeus Young.

Look into waiving Joe Johnson and Jarrett Jack.

Giving the rest of the rotation minutes to younger guys -- Larkin, RHJ, Bogdanovic, Karasev, Robinson, etc.

Hold a continuing D-League audition for the final roster spots on the team.


On draft night, look into buying as many second round picks from other teams as possible, and try to find a rotation player in the 2nd round.




Then, in free agency, offer big money to second tier free agents like Mike Conley (plausible if Memphis continues to decline), Demar Derozan, Nic Batum, Eric Gordon, and Chandler Parsons.  Hopefully I'd get one or two of them.   

In addition to that, offer higher annual value on 2 year deals to 3rd and 4th tier veteran free agents like Brandon Jennings, Gerald Henderson, Jeff Green, Luol Deng, David Lee, OJ Mayo, Marvin Williams, Greivis Vasquez, and Courtney Lee.  Basically what the Celts did with Amir Johnson -- I'd try to find 2 or 3 guys like that.

I also like Moranis's idea of seeing if other teams have decent vets with 2-3 years left on their contracts that they want to dump.


The plan, basically, would be to rebuild a core group of decent veterans, 30 years old or under, around Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young, supported by a group of youngish role players, and then see what the team can do with the group I put together over the next 2 or 3 years.


I'd try to set up as many of the contracts as possible to expire at the same time as Brook Lopez (2018), so that I can enter rebuild mode with cap space at that point if I so choose.

[snively]

Manage minutes for Brook Lopez this season.  Don't overplay Thaddeus Young.

Look into waiving Joe Johnson and Jarrett Jack.

Giving the rest of the rotation minutes to younger guys -- Larkin, RHJ, Bogdanovic, Karasev, Robinson, etc.

Hold a continuing D-League audition for the final roster spots on the team.


On draft night, look into buying as many second round picks from other teams as possible, and try to find a rotation player in the 2nd round.




Then, in free agency, offer big money to second tier free agents like Mike Conley (plausible if Memphis continues to decline), Demar Derozan, Nic Batum, Eric Gordon, and Chandler Parsons.  Hopefully I'd get one or two of them.   

In addition to that, offer higher annual value on 2 year deals to 3rd and 4th tier veteran free agents like Brandon Jennings, Gerald Henderson, Jeff Green, Luol Deng, David Lee, OJ Mayo, Marvin Williams, Greivis Vasquez, and Courtney Lee.  Basically what the Celts did with Amir Johnson -- I'd try to find 2 or 3 guys like that.

I also like Moranis's idea of seeing if other teams have decent vets with 2-3 years left on their contracts that they want to dump.


The plan, basically, would be to rebuild a core group of decent veterans, 30 years old or under, around Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young, supported by a group of youngish role players, and then see what the team can do with the group I put together over the next 2 or 3 years.


I'd try to set up as many of the contracts as possible to expire at the same time as Brook Lopez (2018), so that I can enter rebuild mode with cap space at that point if I so choose.

Larkin/T-Rob are what they are - no amount of minutes is going to make them better, IMO. Karasev's already got one foot out the door as well.

And, other than Gordon, your second tier of free agency is actually more like the first tier (unless you've got Durant all by himself on the top one). I don't think the Nets will have a prayer at any of those guys - too many good teams with cap space for those guys to choose from.

Your second group is more the Nets wheelhouse.

---

If I'm the replacement for Billy King, I try to get the Nets back on the winning horse as soon as possible. The biggest issues to address: 3-point shooting and PG play.

The first step in addressing these issues is putting Thad Young on the block. He's still well-regarded in league circles, and a decent 2-way player, but he's not doing this Nets team any good. His lack of shooting and his inability to draw fouls exacerbate the weaknesses of the rest of the squad and his offensive strengths duplicate Lopez'. Defensively he's not as good as a starter as he was off the bench in Philly as his energy level is lower and the match-ups are tougher.

I'd try moving him with Larkin and Brown to OKC for Morrow, Singler, Augustin and a late first. That would depend on OKC having buyer's remorse on Singler, but I think the chance of adding a quality defensive 6th man as an alternate go-to option when Kanter's too much of a liability would be tempting.  And while those three OKCers aren't much, they can all shoot the basketball (DJ and Singler both over 37% for their career and Morrow at 43%). The Nets are going to suck defensively with JJ and Lopez as anchors, so might as well go with some capable offensive roleplayers that space the floor for Lopez in pick and roll instead of 2-way garbage like Larkin.


The next step is to move JJ to the 4 permanently. It's the only way to keep him useful offensively and he's already a lost cause on D. Against 4's he can space the floor and still enjoy a quickness advantage as a slasher.

DJ/Morrow/RHJ/JJ/Lopez with a Jack/Ellington/Bogdanovic/Singler/T-Rob bench. It's an awful defensive team , but you've got RHJ to sick on the other team's best ball-handler, and the rest of the rotation can space the floor for pick and roll action. That could be enough for the team to claw their way out of the bottom of the East and give 2016 free agents a little bit more reason to believe in the team's future.

[Lucky17]

Short term fix: hope that the Nets can find a buyer for Jack at some point this season. Maybe a playoff team loses a starting PG to injury, or a team needs a backup to solidify the bench. There won't be a great return, but perhaps the Nets can get back a couple of bodies and/or a 2nd rounder -- assets they can then spin elsewhere.

I don't think there's a team out there that would trade for Johnson's gargantuan contract. I also don't think there's much to gain from a buyout (other than perhaps removing his cap hold from the books). Ride it out. Instead, hope some other players out there get bought out, and buy cheap when possible.

Figure out a way to use the two modestly sized trade exceptions ($2.1 mil and $3.3 mil) to add to the roster. Maybe they can consolidate Larkin, Ellington, and Karasev into a single player.

Pray for McCullough to come back strong from the ACL tear. Actually, just pray.

Long term: I think they have to keep Lopez and Young, as these will be the minor stars in place that can help keep them relevant in free agency discussions. Terrific market and location will also help them. Build around those two, develop RHJ, BogBog, and McCullough, and land some help in free agency. Brandon Jennings and OJ Mayo sound like plausible targets.

[PhoSita]

I just have this feeling the Nets will sign Demar Derozan next summer.  Sell him on taking over the role Joe Johnson has played there.  They'll market him as the long-awaited successor to Vince Carter, but he's really more like Richard Jefferson.

Then they'll probably sign a few lesser FAs to fill out the roster.  Example -- Jennings, former Net Courtney Lee, Marvin Williams, mostly-washed-up Nene, not-totally-washed-up Ray Felton.


Jennings, Bogdanovic, Derozan, Young, Lopez

Bench: Felton, Lee, RHJ, Marvin, Nene, Robinson, Ellington


For any Nets fans remaining after this season, that's probably the best case scenario.

[saltlover]

Trade everyone not on a rookie contract for expirings and the best picks you can get.  Wait 5 years for an unprotected or barely protected pick instead of a lottery-protected pick this summer, if that's what the offers are.  Any trade exceptions acquired in these trades should be used to take on salary dumps for more picks.

This summer, use cap space first to acquire salary dumps and picks.  Use remaining space to sign the best players you can to one-year deals.  If you're competitive next year, great.  If not, trade the expiring players for more picks.

Do the same thing in 2017 and 2018.

In 2019, if enough of your picks have panned out, try to consolidate a couple into a star/borderline star player, and use dollars to attract another one via free agency.  Hopefully the remainder of your young players can constitute a nice core with these two new acquisitions.  If you haven't had enough picks pan out, go for the complete tear-down.

The Nets are in a spot where there is no quick fix.  They need to take their medicine, several years worth of it.