The Brooklyn Nets may be projected to once again finish as a bottom-tier team in the Eastern Conference standings this coming season, but this is not to say that they are completely void of noteworthy players.
Even without the likes of Mikal Bridges in tow, coach Jordi Fernández still finds himself with a roster that sports highly impressive ballers such as Cam Thomas, Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney, and the recently acquired Ziaire Williams.
Despite what the naysayers may spew, this Nets team has more talent than they're being given credit for, as they roster several individuals who are hoped to be viewed as long-term building blocks moving forward.
For Brooklyn, deciding on exactly who they see as must-keep commodities may prove to be more essential than ever in the not-too-distant future, for, according to recent rumblings, the league is strongly considering the idea of adding a couple of new teams into the mix.
Should the association accomplish such a goal, it would mean an NBA Expansion Draft would be held, which is an event that permits all newly implemented teams to poach players from already established rosters to fill out their own.
One major caveat, however, is that every franchise is given the opportunity to protect up to eight players from being entered into the draft pool, which, in turn, would ultimately leave six or seven (depending on roster size) up for grabs.
Looking at this Nets squad, it seems rather apparent that, for the most part, the list of names they'd choose to keep around is quite obvious, which, in turn, would leave the fate of a number of players in limbo in the event of an expansion draft.
Of the presumed collection that would, unfortunately, go unprotected, there are a few, in particular, that could very easily be scooped up if, by some chance, a hypothetical event such as this were to take place at some point in the near future.
Nets players at risk of departing in potential NBA Expansion Draft
Dennis Schroder
At 31 years old, Dennis Schroder may not be the type of player a building-from-scratch ball club would presumably covet, but his proven ability to take command of a team's backcourt rotation has been quite beneficial throughout his professional career, and adding a sense of stability to the most important position in the game could prove to be rather beneficial for an incoming team.
Coming into his 12 season in the association, the point guard has made a name for himself as being a shifty scoring threat and reliable set-up artist who boasts impressive per-game averages of 14.0 points, 4.8 assists, and 2.9 rebounds for his career.
He is coming off an all-around solid season where he logged 80 games total between the Raptors and Nets and dropped 14.0 points, 6.1 assists, and 3.0 rebounds a night while shooing 37.5 percent from distance.
Whether an expansion team is looking to compete for the postseason right out of the gates or slowly build an identity and reputation on the floor, adding someone like the veteran Schroder could aid on both fronts.
Keon Johnson
Upon coming into the association back in 2021, Keon Johnson was tabbed as an explosive athlete with sound handling skills and raw, albeit promising scoring abilities. This on top of his defensive chops suggested that the Tennessee product had the capability of being a legitimate two-way force at the next level.
Fast forward three years later, however, and we find that this potential has not been remotely realized.. yet, anyway.
Throughout his three-year professional career, Johnson has suited up for three different franchises and has filled various roles along the way.
His best stretch of action came during the latter stages of his rookie campaign where, while suiting up for 22 games with the Portland Trail Blazers, he found himself averaging 9.7 points, 2.9 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and half a block in 25.5 minutes a night.
Of course, all this ended up buying him was one more season out in Rip City before being dealt to and ultimately waived by the Phoenix Suns, where he would soon sign a two-way contract with the Nets in November of 2023, where he would spend the entirety of the year revolving in and out of the development league.
During his tenures in both Brooklyn and Long Island, there were times when Johnson showed flashes of the skill set that made him a first-round prospect in the first place (take his 36-point showing against the College Park Skyhawks in the G League season finale, for example).
That said, they have come too few and far between to warrant him protections in a potential NBA Expansion Draft, which, considering his highly touted status coming into the association coupled with the fact that he's still just 22 years old, would make him quite an interesting project player for an expansion team to snag.
Killian Hayes
Like Johnson, Killian Hayes was a highly regarded prospect upon coming into the association back in 2020, and was selected as high as seventh overall in his respective class.
Unfortunately, what's also similar to the previously mentioned youngster is that Hayes has not lived up to the hype surrounding him.
The experiment with Hayes became so disappointing during his time with the Detroit Pistons that, last February, the franchise failed to find a trade partner for his services ahead of the February 8 trade deadline and, ultimately, opted to waive his services.
What proved to be rather surprising about this turn of events is the fact that though the former top-10 pick has struggled to find consistency at the NBA level, Hayes is still only 23 years old, plays the game's most important position of point guard, and has shown to have the potential of becoming a solid distributor and dime dropper (averages 9.7 assists per 100 possessions for his career).
Now with the Nets on an exhibit-10 contract, the French-American talent is looking to resurrect his career with this new chapter out in Brooklyn. Of course, if there were an expansion draft held today, it's equally likely that GM Sean Marks would not protect the young baller and an incoming franchise would be interested in kicking the tires on the recent lottery selection.