INSIDER: Why Brooklyn Nets Should RESIST Temptation to ACCELERATE Rebuild With Early Playoff Chase

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On today's show, the next one will look to take a step back towards the playoff next season.

But I'll tell you why pressing the gas too hard during that pursuit would be a mistake.

On today's episode of Lockdown Nets.

You are Lockdown Nets, your daily Brooklyn Nets Podcast.

Part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day.

Welcome in to Lockdown Nets.

I'm Eric Slater.

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And on today's episode, I'll dive into how the net should approach next season.

As they end to take a step towards the playoffs, what players from this year's team are likely to return.

And whether Brooklyn's tank to close the year is impacting its rookies.

Let's go.

All right, back on the show now.

We got Lucas Kaplan of Nets daily here for another fan take Friday episode this time on the opening day of March madness.

So we got a lot of crazy games going on right now.

Sienna is giving Duke a room for their money up 11 points of the half.

Jerry McNamara, you know, really Scott those boys in line before we get into the questions.

Lucas, did you fill out a bracket?

Do you have a favorite team to come out on top this year?

Yeah, but like I'm always terrible.

My brother, I don't think I've ever won any pool ever.

No money.

I picked Michigan.

Okay.

I haven't watched a ton of college basketball.

I skimmed a little on Bart, but yeah, I never, you know, it's really hurt me.

I always really try to go very anti chalk.

Yeah.

And I think in the NIL transfer era, we might be trending to some more chalky brackets.

Last year, I was, I was just horrific.

Yeah.

I mean, say that.

But then Jerry McNamara's got Sienna, you know, on point high point, taking down Wisconsin.

Like we, we got some early upsets already in the, the first lady games.

But yeah, I, I had Derek Parker on the show yesterday and he said his pick was Michigan.

And he said with, you know, Mara Johnson, you know, like the front court that they have there in Michigan.

That was just, he felt the most comfortable with them.

So that seems like that's a popular pick for everybody.

But let's get right into the questions.

We got a lot of stuff.

First question here.

Hey, Eric, I'm wondering what you thought about the report, the net's management plans to win next year.

My question is, win with what?

And how does this fit into Sean Mark's supposed to philosophy of not skipping steps and wanting to build a sustainable winner?

That's from Metz Ledger.

And yes, I think this is referencing a story put out by our colleague, Brian Lewis, who's been here on lockdown.

Metz several times, which was, you know, kind of intimating the net's plans for next season and saying that they are planning to take a step forward next season.

But at what rate or what pace is kind of the question that's lingering over everything.

So my opinion on this, I think I've had this opinion for a little bit is that it's obvious that the net's not owning their draft pick next year.

I think it's going to play at least somewhat of a role into their calculus.

I mean, they don't want to give the team the number one pick.

My B for my question has been like how much of a calculus?

And that has been, you know, I think the fear and some net's fans minds that maybe that could lead them to kind of press the gas on the rebuild a little bit too early.

And I think that that would be a mistake.

So I think they should be trying to be better next season.

I think they will be trying to be better next season.

But in my opinion, that draft pick should not play a real role in the calculus, even if we all know it will somewhat.

So my viewpoint would be target guys who are in your rebuild timeline somewhat.

If you want to go after a veteran or two who could help you kind of get there, that's fine.

But don't press the gas too much and try to get there too quickly at the expense of long term flexibility or sustainability.

So that's my viewpoint.

And we'll get deeper into what that can look like.

But Lucas, what do you think?

Yeah, I just think that there are so many players out there that could help the nets.

They are not a team that is like, honestly, they're not like the 2019 nets that lost to the sixers in the first round.

And hey, we won 42 games, whatever they won that year.

It was a weaker conference.

But that team, if they weren't able to sign Kyrie and Katie, sort of had to sign pretty upper echelon free agents and or make some trades to improve this team like Josh Minot.

I'll do respect.

I think he's going to be good playing like throwing Josh Minot in the rotation at the start of the year for like 24 minutes of game would have been a improvement.

Would have helped them a lot.

So it's tough for me to kind of imagine what they're going to do just because there are so many conceivable trades and free agents signings that would help this team.

It does not have to be honest.

I like Erja or any of these, you know, star big name trades.

That being said, I think that's a good thing because I do think that means there's a way to improve the team for next year without making a panic move.

Yeah, and I think that the point that you made about, you know, what the nets look like early in the season, like if you just look at the state of the roster, like it's not a roster that is close to competing.

Like it could be if you made some moves and that's going to get into the next question, which is what are three moves the nets could make this off season to make them a top 10 team next season.

That's from banana man, but yeah, I mean on that note, like it's just they could make moves that could make them, you know, a better team.

I could put them into playoff conversation, but in my opinion, those are going to be moves that are going to come at the expense of long term flexibility.

I think that the guys on the roster, like, Yeg or Dylan, Nolan, Troy Drake, Powell, Danny Wolf, Ben Siraf, like Noah Clowny, like these aren't guys who are ready to be contributors in like a playoff rotating at the moment, like you still need a lot of growth.

So in my opinion, if you're asking what are the moves in the off season that could make them a top 10 team, like there aren't that many, like to me, they'd have to mortgage the future this summer to get to that point that fast.

I would probably look like a trade for a guy like Yannis, you know, spending in free agency, moving off of some young pieces or, you know, giving up long term flexibility or long term assets for the now, like that's the only way that I see them making that much of a jump that fast.

And I don't think that, you know, it's a prudent route. I don't think it's the route they'll ultimately go, but if you're asking like what are the moves that they could make to put themselves in real contention in the Eastern conference or at least make them like a top six team.

It would be, you know, a trade for a guy like Yannis and then filling out the roster with the rest of their assets in order to kind of put them into that conversation, but Lucas, what's your take on that?

Yeah, top 10 in the league or top 10 in the East.

I don't know. I'll let's say I top 10 in the league. I sounded like the league.

Let's say, let's say a playoff team, like let's say not a play in team, a playoff team. Right, right. So essentially a top six team in the league, which they're not going to, I mean, I shouldn't say that.

That would be an incredible job next year. Like, you think about a team like the Phoenix Sons who really have impressed me with their collective identity in terms of getting a ton out of guys that are having career years.

Like Colin Gillespie. And you could say Mark Williams, oh, so you guitar, oh, Dylan Brooks having a career, but like Dylan Brooks and Devon Booker and Mark Williams are not guys that are on this roster.

Maybe, you know, one of the bigs has as a season semi comparable to Mark, but there are the seventh seed in the West, right. And that's felt like a very high end outcome for them.

I just don't see the nets having a top 10 team in the league make maybe the playoffs in the East, you never know, but like Eric said to ensure that to put a roster on paper that's like, oh, yeah, we expect to we're going to like

be a top five seed in the East, top 16 in the East. It feels like that would probably require a lot of forfeiture of assets. And if you just don't need to do that yet.

No, not not to not to look too far ahead. You still own your 28 pick. I'm just saying.

I'm just going to throw that in there. No, I agree with you. I mean, like, if you're looking at, I know that net fans, like, it's been a pretty rough past few seasons. So a lot of them are looking at it and being like, the playoffs, like, this is the year we're going to go for it.

I hear you. I understand you. I empathize with you. But I would say that you don't have to get to the playoffs for it to be a more fun season. Like after what you went through the last couple of years, if they're trying hard on a nightly basis, if you can root, you know, wholeheartedly for them without any concerns about a tank.

And they make it into, like, say the play in conversation, say they can get to the 10 seed without mortgaging future assets. Like that's a better outcome to me. Like that's a better, you know, path to go when I still think it could be entertaining and fun for a lot of nets.

And so if you're looking at the path of how they could get there, I think it's, you know, internal development, like these, you know, guys who are, you know, rookies now, you know, playing well during their sophomore campaign.

Whatever, hopefully you get a top pick. We'll get into that in a second. That guy coming in and you can make some moves around the margins that, you know, really aren't going to, you know, sacrifice much of your long term assets or flexibility.

And then once you get to the point where you are like that kind of frisky team, you have like a little bit of a promising future. That's when you can start to press the gas a little bit more and you can target some guys who are in your timeline, maybe bring in a veteran to or to who could fit that timeline.

So that's how it would see that. Next two questions relate to that. If we choose, if we get one of the top three picks on the draft, will we bring a superstar to the team during the summer?

That's from TR nets and next question. If you land in the top three, would any superstar becoming available within reason be of interest to you to trade for instead of drafting somebody inside the top three? That's from Tani G.

So first question, I don't think that the nets are going to be in the superstar market. Look, you can't count it out. Bob Windrum, Ned Staley, you know, they're monitoring all of the superstar situations across the league.

I don't think they're out of the honest conversation. I don't think that it's likely. I don't think they're out of any of these star conversations like they have the flexibility and they do have the assets where they could talk themselves into getting a star filling out the roster with the rest of their remaining assets, their cap space, some of the guys they have internally.

But I just think that the timeline is so far away right now. Like they're just not at that point. So I don't think they're going to bring in a superstar.

Would I trade a top three pick for a superstar? Absolutely not, but Lucas, what's your response to both of those lines of question?

Well, we're not trading a top three pick. That's just not going to happen. I don't mean to use we as in the nets. I just, I mean, we as in like, I don't know.

I don't know. That was not happening. No matter what team we're talking. We as in the walk on net's panel.

As in the panel, as in people, humanity, people that watch basketball, like not happening.

And then, yeah, I to listen, you want to expand the scope of stardom than maybe.

But I mean, who are we? It's funny. The guy that would make a lot of the star name that would like make sense, but is not going to happen for obvious reasons would be like a LeBron James.

Like if you just take the name out of it, top 30 player still, not, you don't necessarily need to sign them to a long term contract can fit in a ton of roster constructions.

Right. Like shouldn't cost you because of his age too much draft capital. I mean, he's a free agent. But like, this is not this is what I was not expecting this from you.

If you wanted to, if you want to do star names, that's the guy, like that type of player.

So what a 40 year old guy who's like clearly at the end of his career. Why is that guy?

Like if Paul George had like one year left on his contract, and it wasn't such an albatross, and if you just didn't get suspended, like not like.

Okay, the calves fully mad at the playoffs suddenly is done of a Mitchell available like I'm not that's not the kind you see what I'm saying.

That's what I hear.

Yeah, I hear it's about not, you know, Sacrific. You're saying guys, you don't really have to commit to a long term. I understand we're going to continue this conversation.

We're pressing up against it. We got to get to a break. We'll have more about that. Those questions, potential superstars, also the rest of the guys on the roster.

Who might be back? Who won't? So I've all that we continue locked on this after a quick break.

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Coming back from the breaking single today is locked on net's episode on this fan take Friday and Lucas was just explaining to us while a bron James is going to be on the net's next season.

Lucas keep going, spell it out for me. Give me the rationale behind it.

Well, you know, you got the media ventures, you know, he works out with Chris Brickley, I think located on the upper west side.

Yeah, he can uber blade from the upper west side to Barclays. Yeah, I'm the star on the star acquisition. I hear what you're saying. It's, you know, going after guys who you necessarily don't have to sign to like adsorbent deals who could elevate your floor.

It's orbent long term deals. Yeah, you can figure floor up a little bit and maybe because of where they are in their career won't talk cost a ton of long term capital.

Yeah, I'm struggling and again, you have to expand the definition of what a star is, but I mean, I said when the blazers came to town yesterday, they should think about trading.

Danny Avdia, like that. I mean, hey, I can see the next I can see the next doing that.

Danny Avdia got quite the reception at Barclays, Center. Maybe he's a he said that he, you know, couldn't he couldn't believe the reception he got from the crowd.

So maybe Danny Avdia, maybe he's a trade target down the line, but I don't think the blazers are giving up on him.

Even if that was his counsel, but next question, if you had to, if you had to put percentages on the chance that each of these players claxon MPJ, Dehran, Terrence man, Zaire Williams, being on the team, the start of next season, what would it be? That's from Taney G.

And if I had to go through each of those guys individually, like percentages, that's kind of arbitrary, but I would probably say like the most likely guy to be on the team out of those guys is Dehran sharp, like Dehran sharp Terrence man, I would probably put as the most likely I put those guys at like 90% maybe because Dehran, I just don't think the nets are giving up on him Terrence.

You know, it's a negative asset. He could be included in like a bigger deal with like a star trade or something like that comes to fruition, but I don't think that's likely Zaire.

I put pretty high because I think that he's had a better second half of the season. I probably put him at like 70% and then clax and MPJ over guys who I think are the most uncertain.

I probably put clax at like 60 I guess just because he has two years left on his deal, but he definitely is a guy who logically could be a trade guy and MPJ.

I'm a lot more uncertain. I probably put him at like 50, 50, but what would you say Lucas?

I would, that's the order I would go in. I would flip Terrence and Zaire, like I think Dehran's back. I think Zaire's back.

Terrence, I would assume his back, but you know 17 million could certainly be part of a bigger trade, three team trade, two years isn't forever.

I don't think it's likely. I still think he's probably viewed around the league as his contract is a little bit too negative of an asset.

So I would say it's above 50% and then I would think that I don't know. I would think clax for the similar reason is above MPJ.

I mean, it sounds like I'm so going home on MPJ being out of there, but I just he's the asset they have that they can like either extend or trade.

It feels like a trade would would make a lot of sense.

He might he might have recouped all this value this year. I would you so you said about 50, 50 gone to your head.

Yeah, trade MPJ this summer. I think they do. That's that's my lean and that's that is based on like some things that I've heard and also just like what I've heard matches up with the logic of it.

I'm like we've had this conversation before like he's he's a guy who his value is probably not going to get much higher than it is right now with the season that he's coming off of and he's a guy who is getting older.

He's getting to 28. He has a extensive injury history. If it's the option of extending him and rolling the dice that will maintain this value or moving off of him and adding to the stock pile of assets you have.

Potentially using that slot on your salary cap sheet to bring in a younger player or somebody else maybe I just I think one of those makes a lot more sense than the other, but this parlay is nice into the next question.

It's no secret MPJ is in a bit of a slump since the all star break, but what do you think the current consensus on his trade value is right now league wide that's from snazzy.

And I would say that you know it's been like the two it's the messaging has been very similar to what we heard with cam johnson of like the net's weren't actively shopping him at the deadline they wanted maybe two first round picks like very high asking price they're taking it into the off season.

I would not at all be surprised if he ended up fetching a similar return to a player like cam johnson, which is like a good first round pick and then some kind of player that you know they could get whether that's a smaller contract young player or

a bigger salary failure who maybe you think can turn into something I'd say I think it's like one good first round pick and then something else that's like a sweetener but Lucas what do you think about that.

Yeah I agree whatever the trade value was at the deadline I can't imagine it being too much lower I think teams give grace to like a veteran who had the first half of the season he's had and they'll kind of put the nets in a box of other tanking teams.

You know so that seems to me like what his trade value was around mid season I don't think it's dropped too much and I don't again I don't I don't see it getting too much higher and yeah for all those reasons I would lean like Eric said on them trading him but it'd be I'd be interested to see what they

they let me put it this way it's mind boggling to me that teams watched cam johnson last year and Denver traded for him and as bad as cam has been in some moments they don't run any sort of offense for him like Jordi ran for cam in Brooklyn mind boggling to me that's all I wrote about last year like yeah cam is great look how much of his production is tied to the system he's playing in I feel like if teams haven't learned that lesson by now I would be stunned.

So I think we'll get a market correction on okay if you trade for MPJ like you got to you got to do this kind of stuff for him like that you got to take into account the system that he's playing it so I would be interested to see or hear if we ever learn how that affects his trade value.

Yeah and I think that the way that teams could be viewing it is interesting and I've talked about this throughout the season of like he was obviously like the number three or the number four guy in Denver he's been the number one guy here

and I think that he's shown enough in both of those roles to lead you to believe especially this season that he can kind of have a little bit of a middle ground which could lend itself to you know more of like you know a number two option or you know what you know number two B or something along those signs like I think that he's shown enough of that stuff that he will be able to do some more you know add his next destination which I think should

go well for his trade value next question what do you think the rotation will look like next year if we land the top three picks specifically Peterson since he's probably going to take up a spot in the back court that's from J J

and it's tough to say because it would be very dependent on like other moves on the next would make like I think they'll bring in other guys you know whether through free agency whether through trades but based on the guys that we have here right now like if they got there in Peterson on the draft.

I'd probably say I don't think Peterson's a point guard so I'd probably say no one at point guard Peterson is shooting guard Diego or small forward MPJ power forward because we don't know what he's at yet and then clax and center and then wolf and Danny wolf and day around sharp the only guys would be like are probably definitely bench pieces maybe you could throw Terrence man in there but that's what I'd say but it's very dependent on the other moves that they could make but yeah Luke is what what would you say about a projected rotation for something like that.

I think it's really tough to answer just because I anticipate the rotation looking very different at assuming Darren Peterson which I would hey hell of an assumption I would assume they go dp.

Diego or back court I mean I would hear it like the draft people I've talked to have kind of poured a little cold water like Peterson's ball handling needs to get better the passing processing is a little far behind but you could kind of force him into that role.

And more so like listen I think they're I think they're they're going to try to put more on Diego or Diego is played like I think the misconception about next year is that every decision will be 100% geared towards.

Maximizing winning whereas like no like there's still Terrence man for example might be a more reliable study ball handler than Yeg or next year that doesn't mean he's going to get more ball handling opportunities than Yeg or even if he's still Yeg or still getting ripped at half court every once in a while like I think they it's still going to be a lot of development

And so therefore I think you could see a Yeg or Peterson front court back court just because like then that's no they're not winning the title next year barring some crazy offseason move now.

It might help you know a certain way they play the one thing I would say is I trust Jordi immensely to avoid the pitfall of just taking Darren Peterson and being like yeah here you go.

I pick and roll head of the ball the time that's not just just just be a primary I think Jordi would be really good for Peterson.

Yeah, all right we got a lot more questions some about some more potential free agent moves next summer also some stuff about the tanking how could the nets be approaching that for the rest of the season so we'll get into all that we continue locked on nets after a quick break.

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Coming back from the break continuing today's lock down net's episode this fan take Friday roll it out through all your takes and questions next question considering how Dennis Schroeder was for Brooklyn next year would it be imperative to sign a player.

Who provide something similar for Jordy Fernandez would it what who would fit this mold as a unrestricted fridge or restricted fridge and that's from Neil Aces and yeah it's tough to get into specific names but I just think like if the question is should the net's bringing like a veteran guy who can kind of provide some of that leadership on the court who can be kind of like that tone setter I definitely think that that could be beneficial I mean I think Terence man I guess has kind of filled that role this season but.

I think bringing in a guy like that next season when they're actually trying to win would definitely be important but Lucas what do you think yeah I that is the type of move that would make sense again I can't speak to like specific names and whatnot but.

You can see yeah I mean you see how Dennis help Detroit last year that I don't think that net's are going to be as good as the twenty twenty five pistons but.

They could lose in the first round of the playoffs yeah now for sure next question we got does it not worry you that tanking this hard where we don't even try we'll have an effect on the rookies we have right now that's from La Funo and I mean look i'm not going to say like the worry of that zero alright Lucas it's zero it's zero it's zero man like.

I it this idea that the players aren't trying I don't think that's what the question applied but this idea that the organization trying not to win games is symbiotic with the players not trying to win games is something I don't buy into like if if right now if Ben sir off is going to be good it's because he's good it's not because he's losing games by twenty five like.

They're not telling Ben or Nolan or Danny or whoever to play less well because they want to lose games it's coming from above so like you know if Danny's not good in the long run it's going to be because he's not good it's not going to be because the net's lost by thirty.

In game sixty five of his rookie year and this is that's all of all the arguments against tanking as an organizational strategy I I just.

I don't buy this one at all like there are too many examples of rookies on tanking teams of young players on tanking teams becoming really good NBA players yeah look like these rookies especially the kinds of the kinds of guys that the net's drafted are very you know.

They're very motivated to continue their NBA careers and to make as much money to have the best careers that they can possible and then that's losing some games in March and April of their rookies season because of a tanking agenda isn't going to like shake their resolve and be like oh I'm not going to be going my hardest to try to maximize my NBA outlook my NBA earnings like whatever motivates you like I just don't think that this is going to have like that much of a negative effect on them at the end of the day it's you know three four it's like three weeks less than a month.

During the end of their rookies season they played a lot of you know games where the organization wasn't doing this kind of thing the overwhelming majority of the season so that's what I'd say for that next question Friday I kind of sorry last thing like.

It's good for the guys to play more minutes even if they're losing even down to guys like listen I he might not be anything that be able like change Johnson's played a really good last couple games I don't you know I'm not saying he'll be part of the rotation next year but.

That you can't do it all or you know does that make sense yeah no I hear like it's it's more reps at the end of the day like Jordi talked about it earlier in the season like the most important thing is these guys playing a lot of basketball whether it's in the G lead whether it's in the NBA and they're all getting a lot of playing time right now like that's to me that's a big part and that's why they're losing a lot of games yes it's it's definitely.

Anyway the impetus but next question Friday versus the next can Jordi and company please compete and try to win please and thanks I get the tank and all but this is the one night they need to give their best effort that's from Ian Karucci and look I hear you there it's a cross time rivalry matchup it's you know the nets have been embarrassed by the next in a lot of recent games I hear you at the same time I say that if you're doing this for the past you know four games as blatantly as they are to just.

Switch it up like that it seemed it kind of to me it makes it feel like the philosophy seems like disingenuous if you just change game to game like that like you at least have some plausible die ability I I just I don't think that they're going to do that as much as some of the fans would want them to I think it's almost like it's almost worse in some of the eyes of the players because it's like oh we're going to go try for this one game and then we're going to just completely take our foot off the gas right after it I hear you I understand it's the next they're going to play off front you want to ruin that.

That would be great for a lot of net fans I'm sure but I don't think they're going to do that they won't but I get it it's a fine it's a fine it's a fine desire I get it I mean listen when we were at msg and that would have been the time to do it like the last time what were they they'd lost like five or

row or they were seven of eight yeah we did a whole podcast about how bad they are for its dended stretch and like then that's had a chance to kind of like put their foot on their necks and they didn't do it like the Terrence ma'am yeah lost by a TV in that game like they lost by 60 yeah so be careful what you wish for I don't know exactly maybe the yeah maybe they'll end up winning just by sheer the opposite of what of you know whatever they

want to happen I don't yeah there you go all right last question for this part if the top seven in the draft is as good as everyone claims the rocket trade the rocket

trade was a home run there isn't a team that would trade two for two future there isn't a trade team that would trade two future picks to move down from the

seventh pick trade for two future picks to move down from the seventh pick to the 19th pick where the sun's pick sits right now do you

agree or disagree that's from Ricky C white yeah I mean based on like the fact that I think the nets are the overwhelming likely spot where they're going to pick

this year is one through six this is a very very good draft and based on the improvement that the suns have made pretty unexpectedly I do think that the rocket

trade is looking a lot better even though the nets didn't really squeeze as much out of it as they could because of the way that they kind of

conducted their tank last season but what do you think Lucas it's like it was a great trade it was a fantastic trade and you can really only judge it on the merits of the trade and the first

question I asked Sean about the trade was how much did your well not advance scouting in like terms of NBA like preparing for opponents but like

advanced scouting in the grassroots scene and this was two years ago at this point or a year yeah two years ago how I asked him like how much did your appraisals of what the 25 and 26 drafts are looking like factor into this and you

didn't say you know he didn't say oh yeah well of course but he also didn't say no that didn't matter at all it was a great trade and you know we had our

gripes about maybe not taking hard enough last year and a lot of that came down a lottery luck but I do think with the strength of each specific draft class I think the nets made there I think

that factored in and I think rightfully so you know yeah if I if I remember the response to that question that Sean had I think he

pretty much did say that like the strength of those two classes like play to roll in it like that he was pretty black and white

about that and was a good question by you so I agree I think it was a good trade and I think that while at points you know we

have had gripes with the net's tank process more so last season I think these last few games after they won those games against the

pisses and the Grizzlies they really you know kind of you know sense the urgency and they've kind of made that shift and it seems

like they're going to end in a pretty decent position a Lucas that's all I got with you on this two

quarter fan take Friday appreciate taking the time as always we got the mix on Friday then we got a massive tank matchup on

Sunday against the Sacramento Kings so I'll coverage of all that and more coming up a lot of March Manus to watch maybe we'll talk some

about that but appreciate taking the time as always from that that does it for today's episode of locked on that so

you guys enjoyed the mail back thank you to all of you who continue to submit questions and allow us to do this it's a lot of fun

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comment leave a five star review anything you can do to engage is much appreciated but that's got the mix on Friday got a big

tank matchup with the Kings on Sunday so I've coverage of all that and more when I'm back tomorrow talking more Brooklyn that's

basketball

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