The Brooklyn Nets have been rumored to be in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, but that’s just the start of an elite offseason.
Despite trying with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce and again with Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets have never found real success in the 21st century.
The Nets play in a massive media market, boast a state-of-the-art arena, and seem willing to spend, although they finished last season with the seventh-worst record in the NBA. The draft lottery was not kind to them, and they will pick eighth overall, likely missing out on a franchise player to turn their fortunes around.
The Nets are one of only a few teams with salary room this offseason and have been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, they have no supporting cast for him to win with, although these five offseason moves would turn Brooklyn into a contender.
Photo by Luke Hales/Getty ImagesNets could add draft capital from Spurs
In the first possible move of the offseason, the Brooklyn Nets would need to find an elite running mate to pair with Giannis. Putting him next to a score-first point guard like Damian Lillard simply did not work out, so a facilitator who can create open looks seems like the best bet.
The Nets need to save as much money to land free agents to sprinkle around Antetokounmpo, so drafting an elite running mate seems like the best bet.
The San Antonio Spurs need as much shooting as possible, and the Nets could swing a trade to land the rights to a top pick.
Full mock trade details
Nets receive: Keldon Johnson, number two overall pickSpurs receive: Cameron Johnson, number eight overall pick
The Spurs add some shooting next to Victor Wembanyama and are able to use their eighth and 14th selection to add some depth to the second unit.
The Nets, meanwhile, shed a little salary by replacing Cameron with Keldon, and are able to draft anyone aside from Cooper Flagg.
Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty ImagesNets need to draft Dylan Harper
After dealing with the Spurs, Brooklyn will have the second pick, 19th pick, 26th pick, and 27th pick in the 2025 draft. While there is value to be found in the later part of the first round, adding a transformational prospect will happen as early as possible.
Remember, the end goal here is to land Giannis, so taking Dylan Harper, the best floor general in the draft, is an easy choice.
Harper averaged 19.4 points, four assists, and 1.4 steals in his lone college season. He can get to the rim, create off the dribble, and has some of the best floor vision in the NCAA.
While his outside shooting is a work in progress, his facilitating is NBA-ready, and Antetokounmpo is more than capable of carrying a scoring load as Harper develops.
Nets need to re-sign Cam Thomas
As a restricted free agent, the Nets have total control over Cam Thomas’ offseason. If he signs an offer with another team, Brooklyn can just match it and keep him in town, and they can entice him with more money than anyone else.
After averaging a career-high 24 points last season, keeping Thomas needs to be a priority for the Nets. A backcourt of him and Harper can score from anywhere and get just as hot as anyone else in the league.
“I’m definitely excited to come back and play in front of the fans again,” Thomas said about his free agency. “I know the fans love me, and I love to play in front of them, give them a good show. So, it’s definitely mutual, but we’ll see. It’s just part of the business.”
With Harper’s scoring ability uncertain, at least for his first few seasons, and Johnson traded to the Spurs, the Nets will need to keep Thomas’ scoring punch in town.
Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty ImagesAdd a superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo
This would be the biggest offseason move in the entire league. While the Nets keep their best asset, the second overall pick, in this deal, they break the bank for the Greek Freak.
With a core of Thomas, Harper, and Antetokounmpo, the Nets immediately become contenders in a weak Eastern Conference. On any given night, Giannis can be the best player in the world on either side of the ball, immediately becoming the franchise piece that the Nets have been looking for since Durant left.
Of course, Antetokounmpo won’t come cheap.
Full mock trade details
Nets receive: Giannis AntetokounmpoBucks receive: Nic Claxton, Keldon Johnson, 19th overall pick (via MIL), 26th overall pick (via NYK), 27th overall pick (via HOU), 2027 first-round pick (via PHI, top-eight protected), 2027 first-round pick (via NYK), 2031 first-round pick (most favorable of BKN or NYK)
Claxton and Johnson are not the best crop of players, but six first-round picks are hard to beat, especially with five of them coming in the next three draft classes, allowing the Milwaukee Bucks to rebuild rather quickly.
While the Spurs, should they offer the Bucks the second pick, can put together a better trade package, their motivation to link Wembanyama with another big man has been called into question, and the Nets might be able to outbid teams like the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors just with the sheer amount of draft capital they can offer.
If the Bucks want to play hardball, the Nets can offer three more first-round picks.
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty ImagesNets can round out the roster with a stretch big
With D’Angelo Russell leading the bench unit and Harper, Giannis, and Thomas leading the starters, the Nets need to add a stretch center to grab some rebounds and space the floor.
Luckily, with Giannis in town, blocking shots is less of a priority, although it would be nice to shore up an otherwise weak defense.
Free agents like Myles Turner and Brook Lopez, who is the Nets’ all-time scoring leader, would be solid options, and both of them are realistic. Lopez, of course, would be cheaper.
By getting rid of Claxton, the Nets open up room for a center who doesn’t necessarily have to space the floor, especially if Harper finds his stride early. Mark Williams or Jonas Valančiūnas are possible trade targets for the low price of matching salary and a single first-round pick, and Nikola Vucevic is a possible longshot as well, provided the Nets can afford to add his $20 million salary.
Any player over seven feet tall would be a solid option, and the Nets would emerge as Finals favorites in the East alongside the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers, assuming both the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers take a step back.