The Brooklyn Nets are a team that has a lot of star power, but they don’t have a top-tier roster around their stars. They lost their season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans, and it was clear during that game that the Nets lacked physicality and size.
A recent report by Thomas Darro of Heavy shared the words of an NBA executive, who revealed that he could see the Brooklyn Nets targeting one of four big men in free agency once January rolls around. The list of big men featured Hassan Whiteside, Derrick Favors, DeMarcus Cousins, and Willie Cauley-Stein.
While their plan may be to roll with Claxton, Sharpe, and Ben Simmons, that may be just in the short term. One Eastern Conference Executive told Heavy NBA Insider Sean Deveney four potential big guys he could see the Nets targeting come January.
“They’re small. The thing about being in the East is that you’re looking at Joel Embiid and if you have to go up against him with Nic Claxton and Markieff Morris, that is not enough. I think they know that. They gave Claxton a new contract but they’re not sold on him, so this year is a trial run. They can trade him if they feel they need to, he has value. But he’s the first option there. They can play small throughout the regular season but you can’t pay Ben Simmons at center in the playoffs, too many coaches will pick that apart in a series.
The thing is, they will have options. There are big guys out there you can plug in for 20 minutes and let them be physical, and there will probably be more at the trade deadline. Hassan Whiteside is out there. Derrick Favors now, he is out there. (DeMarcus) Cousins, Willie Cauley-Stein — you can get a big body in there if you need to. But you probably won’t see them make a move until January on that,” the executive told Heavy.
There is no doubt that any of those big men would be good additions to the Nets’ frontcourt. Hassan Whiteside seems like a good option in particular, as he is the best rim protector out of those plays, and knows how to play a complementary role on offense.
The Brooklyn Nets Could Be A Good Team This Season
Even though the Brooklyn Nets do have some flaws on their roster that they need to iron out, they could still be a good team this season if everything clicks for them. They have Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons on the roster, which should be enough star power to make a deep run in the playoffs.
With Kevin Durant on the roster, the Brooklyn Nets will always have a chance to make a deep run in the playoffs. Hopefully, we see them get to the postseason again and make it further than they did last year.
