The Brooklyn Nets entered the 2021-22 season as the betting favorites to win the title with a Big-3 of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving. The Nets season quickly spun out of control as Kyrie Irving missed the first half of the season with vaccination issues, and Kevin Durant was sidelined with a sprained MCL that kept him out of the lineup for over a month. James Harden scoffed at the Nets’ broken-down roster and demanded a trade, eventually landing on the 76ers for Ben Simmons.
- Kevin Durant – $44.1 M
- Kyrie Irving – $36.9 Million (Player Option)
- Ben Simmons – $35.5 Million
- Patty Mills – $6.2 Million (Player Option)
- Seth Curry – $8.5 Million
- Joe Harris – $18.6 Million
- Bruce Brown – Unrestricted Free Agent
- Nic Claxton – Restricted Free Agent
- Goran Dragic – Unrestricted Free Agent
- Andre Drummond – Unrestricted Free Agent
- LaMarcus Aldridge – Unrestricted Free Agent
- Blake Griffin – Unrestricted Free Agent
- Day’Ron Sharpe – $2.1 Million
- Cam Thomas – $2.1 Million
- Kessler Edwards – $1.6 Million (Team Option)
- 2022- 23 Brooklyn Nets ‘Redeem Team’
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The Brooklyn Nets had a disappointing regular season, finishing with a 44-38 record and sneaking in as the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference before getting swept in the First Round by the Boston Celtics. Brooklyn looked completely outmatched against Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and company, with no easy answers on the horizon.
The Nets had the second-highest team payroll in the NBA this season at $174,811,922 and are projected to have one of the highest overall cap sheets again in 2022-23.
What will Brooklyn Nets management do with their current roster over the offseason?
We’ll break down every Nets player’s status heading into the 2022-23 season and discuss what GM Sean Marks will likely do with each member of the squad.
Kevin Durant – $44.1 M
Entering 1st Season Of A 4-Year, $198 Million Extension (2022-23: $44.1 Million, 2023-24: $47.6 Million, 2024-25: $51.1 Million, 2025-26: 54.7 Million)
Kevin Durant put up one of the most impressive overall shooting displays in NBA history throughout the 2021-22 season.
Here’s a breakdown:
0-3 Feet: 74.4%
3-10 Feet: 51.6%
10-16 Feet: 52.8%
16-3P: 57.5%
3P: 38.3%
KD ended the regular season, averaging 29.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 6.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, and 0.9 BPG. Going deeper, he ranked fifth in the NBA in points added by his overall shooting, at 177.1, the only none low post scorer in the top-5. Kevin Durant had an MVP type of season when he played, but therein lies one of his problems. He’s probably the best pure scorer since Michael Jordan. Still, he finished the year ranked 15th in Win Shares (8.4), directly behind Mitchell Robinson, Jarrett Allen, and DeMar DeRozan because he only suited up for 55 games. This followed the 2020-21 season that saw him play in only 35 games after he missed the entire 2019-20 season with a torn Achilles.
Kevin Durant’s second problem stems from his ho-hum playoff performance. He averaged 22.0 PPG while shooting 36.5% from the floor as he gave up 5.7 turnovers per contest versus only 5.3 assists nightly through the Nets’ first three games (all losses) against the Celtics in the First Round of the playoffs. KD played better in game four, but it wasn’t enough as Boston swept Brooklyn on the road.
KD’s problematic injury history, mixed with his inability to produce during this year’s playoffs and the fact that he’ll be 34-years-old at the start of next season, makes his upcoming 4-year extension, which will take him through 2026, scary. Kevin Durant’s an all-time great, but he’s going to soak up $51.1 million of the Nets cap sheet in 2025 and $54.7 million during his age 38 in 2026.
Kevin Durant isn’t going anywhere. He’ll almost certainly retire with the Nets, but his once bright future is cloudy. The Celtics just ruined Brooklyn and are set up to dominate the next half-decade, while the Bucks, 76ers, and Heat are excellent Eastern Conference squads with relatively young cores. With the Nets strapped for cash, it’s difficult to see them making any earthshaking changes over the next couple of seasons to help KD reach the mountaintop.
Kyrie Irving – $36.9 Million (Player Option)
Kyrie Irving has a player option for the 2022-23 season, and he recently came out and said he’s staying in Brooklyn.
“To be honest, I signed up for this for the long run,” Irving said, per Kurt Helin, “For me, it has always been about being comfortable and loving where I’m at. I love it here,” Irving said. “Once that summer time hits, I know we’ll have some conversations but there’s no way I could leave my man 7 anywhere.”
The Nets might be nervous locking up Kyrie Irving to a long-term extension, considering the way he’s been in and out of the lineup since he joined them in 2019. Still, they’ll probably pony up the cash in the end, unable to find a better point guard on the market.
Kyrie Irving has the smoothest handles in the NBA and a bewitching blend of offensive tools he uses to obliterate individual defenders. With that said, if you look away from the razzle-dazzle, is he a top-25 player in the NBA?
Check out his playoff resume after he left LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers:
2017-18: He missed the playoffs with a knee injury as the Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals with him, losing to the Cavs in seven games.
2018-19: Kyrie Irving averaged 21.3 PPG while shooting 38.5% from the field through nine postseason games. The Celtics lost to the Bucks in five games during the Second Round.
2019-20: Irving missed the playoffs with a shoulder injury. The Nets were swept in the First Round by the Raptors.
2020-21: Kyrie Irving averaged 22.7 PPG while shooting 47.2% from the field as the Nets lost 3 games to 4 against the Bucks in the Semifinals.
2021-22: Kyrie averaged 21.3 PPG off 44.4% from the field. The Celtics swept the Nets in the First Round of the playoffs.
The Nets will probably end up signing Irving to a lengthy four-year extension during the summer, paying him significant cash despite his career -0.3 Defensive Box Plus/Minus and lack of playoff success throughout the last seven years. Going beyond Irving’s enigmatic ways and refusal to get vaccinated, the Nets might regret forking over a sizable chunk of their cap space to a player who hasn’t won meaningful basketball games in nearly a decade.
Ben Simmons – $35.5 Million
Entering 3rd Season Of A 5-Year, $170 Million Extension (2022-23: $35.5 Million, 2023-24: $37.9 Million, 2024-25: $40.0 Million)
Ben Simmons hasn’t played basketball in a year. After suffering through mental issues and then a back problem during the season, Simmons was apparently pain-free for over a week before suddenly experiencing a sudden burst of “discomfort” in his lower back one day before he was scheduled to make his season debut for the Nets during game four of the First Round. We’re not inside Simmons’s brain, but it seems like he’s having some serious mental issues.
There’s a reason nearly every mom in America spouts out the clichéd quote, “If you fall off the horse, get back on,” to her children.
Ben Simmons fell off the horse directly onto his jaw, getting knocked out and woozy during game seven of last year’s playoffs against the Hawks. He choked. It happens. He should have gotten back on the “horse” at the beginning of 2021-22 during the preseason with the 76ers. Instead, he quaked, a nervous wreck, and refused to play. Now, a year later, it seems like that “horse” has become a 16-ton fire-breathing dragon. Ben Simmons will have to work extremely hard during the offseason to find the courage to compete next year.
I’m rooting for Ben Simmons. Mental problems can be debilitating, and they aren’t a sign of weakness. Still, the Nets are locked into Simmons through 2025, holding his untradeable contract with no guarantee he’ll ever be the same disruptive force on defense and playmaking genius on offense that he was for the 76ers.
Patty Mills – $6.2 Million (Player Option)
Patty Mills had a solid 2021-22 season for the Nets. He averaged 11.4 PPG, 1.9 RPG, and 2.3 APG while shooting 40.0% from deep. Mills ended the season ranked 28th throughout the NBA in three-point shooting, providing excellent floor-spacing as one of the most efficient high-volume long distance marksmen in the NBA. He also swung the ball well when an open shot wasn’t available while playing hard-nosed defense.
Patty Mills has a player option for next season, and he hasn’t come out and announced what he’ll do. Over a dozen teams would love to add a sweet-shooting veteran like Mills, and he’ll undoubtedly be able to sign a multi-year contract, probably in the three-year, $22 million range. The Nets would be wise to extend Mills during the offseason, locking him up for the next two to three years.
Seth Curry – $8.5 Million
Seth Curry is one of the most proficient three-point scorers in the NBA. He finished the 2021-22 season with a 42.2% three-point mark, placing him 8th in the NBA. Curry was especially deadly from the edges, nailing 50% of his corner threes during the year. Seth is not merely a long distance specialist. He took over half his shots from inside the arc, hitting 70% at the rim and 62.5% inside the lane from 3 to 10 feet away from the basket. Overall, Curry averaged 15.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 3.6 APG.
Curry is an exceptional offensive weapon. Most teams in the NBA would love to add him. Despite Seth’s scoring exploits, he’s a subpar defender who, at 6-2, 185-pounds, struggles to contain opposing wings. The Nets are loaded with offensive weapons and desperately need to upgrade their 19th-ranked defense over the summer. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Brooklyn management cash in on Curry’s excellent shooting prowess in a trade for one or two above-average perimeter defensive specialists.
Joe Harris – $18.6 Million
Entering 3rd Season Of A 4-Year, $75 Million Contract (2022-23: $18.6 Million, 2023-24: $19.9 Million)
Joe Harris played in only 14 games this season for the Nets before going under the knife with an ankle injury. Harris is one of the most prolific three-point shooters of all time with a career 43.9% clip from deep, a floor-spreading menace who must be accounted for at all times.
With non-shooter Ben Simmons hopefully suiting up next year for the Nets alongside Andre Drummond or perhaps Day’Ron Sharpe, or another minimum-contract player at the center position, Joe Harris’s three-point stroke will be essential. Brooklyn will need Joe Harris to create space for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving (player option) in the middle of the floor. It’s unlikely the Nets will trade Joe Harris over the summer.
Bruce Brown – Unrestricted Free Agent
Bruce Brown averaged 9.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 2.1 APG while shooting 40.4% from deep as the Nets leading two-way role player in 2021-22. Bruce Brown took nearly all his attempts inside the lane or beyond the arc during the regular season. He used a solid first step to get by his defender, and he featured solid finishing skills at the rim and a nice floater when the opposing big man cut off the basket. Brown averaged only 1.3 three-point attempts per game, but his stroke was clean from distance. Bruce Brown was the Nets most effective perimeter defender during the regular season holding his assignments to -4.9% under their normal average and finishing the year with a 1.1 Defensive Box Plus/Minus (2nd on the Nets).
Bruce Brown ended the year as a key cog for the Nets, putting up 14.0 PPG while shooting 42.9% from deep off 3.5 attempts during the playoffs. Brown established himself as an excellent two-way wing next to KD and Irving and should be priority number two (behind Kyrie) for Nets management during the offseason. Rival executives value Bruce Brown at $4 to 7 million per year, and Brooklyn will probably offer him something on the high end of that assessment; a four-year, $25 million contract seems fair.
Nic Claxton – Restricted Free Agent
Nic Claxton has played in only 94 games throughout his three-year career, suffering varying injuries throughout his NBA tenure. Still, Claxton is an intriguing young center who has All-Defensive Team potential. Claxton is one of the rare players in the NBA who can guard every position on the court while providing excellent rim protection. Claxton ended the year holding his assignments to a 43.4% clip from the field, and he had a 4.7 block percentage, a mark that would have landed him seventh in the NBA if he had played enough minutes to qualify for the leaderboard.
After Brooklyn refused to extend Claxton during the previous offseason, Claxton will enter the summer as a restricted free agent. It seems unlikely the capped-out Nets will be able to afford him. One or two organizations, enthralled by Claxton’s youth and potential, will offer him a solid multi-year deal, something like a three-year, $40 million contract.
Goran Dragic – Unrestricted Free Agent
Goran Dragic signed with the Nets after the All-Star break following a buyout agreement with the San Antonio Spurs. He averaged 7.3 PPG and 4.8 APG while shooting 37.6% from the field across 16 regular season games. Dragic played all four playoff games for the Nets, netting 10.5 PPG, 1.5 APG, and an excellent 56.3 FG%.
Dragic will turn 36 in a couple of weeks, and it’s nearly impossible to see the Nets signing him for next season, taking a roster spot away from a much-needed defensive wing.
Andre Drummond – Unrestricted Free Agent
Andre Drummond came to the Nets with Ben Simmons and Seth Curry in their trade with the 76ers for James Harden. Drummond played his typical brand of double-double basketball, averaging 11.8 PPG and 10.3 RPG across 24 games as a starter for Brooklyn. Drummond followed up his distinctive regular season success by (also typically) nearly falling out of the Nets playoff rotation, averaging 3.8 PPG and 3.0 RPG across four postseason games.
Regardless of Drummond’s inability to carve out a role in the playoffs, the Nets will probably sign him to another minimum deal over the offseason, asking him to soak up around 20 minutes per game at the center position during the regular season.
LaMarcus Aldridge – Unrestricted Free Agent
LaMarcus Aldridge put up decent numbers for the Nets during the regular season, averaging 12.9 PPG and 5.5 RPG across 47 games. Aldridge fell out of Brooklyn’s lineup towards the end of the year, playing in only eight games after the All-Star break and finding no court time during the postseason. It’s difficult to imagine the Nets re-signing Aldridge for next season, with younger and more attractive low-cost center options available in free agency.
Blake Griffin – Unrestricted Free Agent
Blake Griffin, like LaMarcus Aldridge, found his role reduced this season for the Nets. Griffin played a total of 56 games in 2021-22, averaging 6.4 PPG and 4.1 RPG, but only competed in eight contests after the All-Star break. Griffin, 33, is three years younger than Aldridge and has more value as a player capable of playing a switch-heavy scheme on defense and who can spread the floor with his three-point shot on offense.
The Nets would be wise to sign Blake Griffin to a one-year, minimum contract for next season.
Day’Ron Sharpe – $2.1 Million
Entering 2nd Season Of A 4-Year Rookie Contract (2022-23: $2.1 Million, 2023-24: $2.2 Million Team Option, 2024-25: $4.0 Million Team Option)
Day’Ron Sharpe averaged 6.2 PPG and 5.0 RPG in a minimal role for the Nets during his freshman campaign. The 29th pick in the first round is a 6-11 big man who showed solid rim protection and rebounding chops for Brooklyn and should find a more prominent role next season as their second-string center.
Cam Thomas – $2.1 Million
Entering 2nd Season Of A 4-Year Rookie Contract (2022-23: $2.1 Million, 2023-24: $2.2 Million Team Option, $4.0 Million Team Option)
Cam Thomas carved out a more significant role than fellow rookie Day’Ron Sharpe due to guards Joe Harris and Kyrie Irving missing substantial time. He played in 67 games, averaging 8.5 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 1.2 APG. Thomas featured a solid first step and an excellent mid-range jumper (54.8% from 10 to 16 feet). He struggled from deep during his first year in the league, and he’ll have to hit the lab over the offseason to improve his three-point shooting to make a more meaningful impact for the Nets. Thomas is dripping with upside and should see an uptick in his court time next season, even with Joe Harris and Kyrie Irving set to play big minutes.
Kessler Edwards – $1.6 Million (Team Option)
The Nets drafted Kessler Edwards with the 44th overall pick in last year’s draft. He played well for a second-round rookie. Head coach Steve Nash routinely turned to Edwards as the season progressed over veterans Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge. Kessler Edwards appeared in 20 games after the All-Star break, averaging 14.9 minutes per contest while playing switch-heavy defense. The Nets have a 2022-23 team option for Kessler and will almost certainly bring back their young forward.
2022- 23 Brooklyn Nets ‘Redeem Team’
The Nets entered the 2021-22 season as massive favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Six months makes an enormous difference.
Brooklyn wasn’t as disappointing as the Lakers this year, but they’re a close second after getting swept by the Celtics in the First Round of the playoffs.
Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons will be back in Brooklyn next season, although it’s unclear if the Nets new point guard will be available to play. Kyrie Irving has a player option for next season but has said he wants to stay in Brooklyn alongside KD.
Patty Mills also has a player option and should be back next to Joe Harris, providing three-point shooting. Seth Curry has one year left on his contract and could be trade bait, while Nic Claxton is most likely gone.
Bruce Brown, Andre Drummond, and Blake Griffin enter the offseason as unrestricted free agents and should be back on the Nets. However, LaMarcus Aldridge and Goran Dragic will likely have to find work elsewhere.
Finally, the Nets trio of rookies, Day’Ron Sharpe, Cam Thomas, and Kessler Edwards, should see increased roles next season.
Things look bleak for the Nets after the Celtics knocked them out of the playoffs in four easy games. Still, Brooklyn will have Kevin Durant next season, and Kyrie Irving has said he wants to resign with them. The biggest question Nets management faces during the offseason is what to do with Ben Simmons after he missed the entire season with mental health issues and a lower back problem. Joe Harris and Seth Curry are both top-20 long distance shooters who are signed through next year. They could help spread the floor for KD and Irving, or GM Sean Marks could trade one of them individually for a defensive wing or in a package with Ben Simmons for a potential All-Star caliber player.
The Nets are far from done. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are two of the most talented offensive weapons in the league, and they want to win an NBA championship together. Steve Nash is a solid coach who was the victim of non-basketball weirdness during the 2021-22 season, including Kyrie’s vaccination issues, Harden’s trade wishes, and Simmons’s psychological struggles. Next season will be the perfect test for the Nets. Is Brooklyn merely good on paper? Or can head coach Steve Nash along with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, lead the Nets to a championship?
