The Brooklyn Nets are preparing for a season in which winning appears to be one of the lower priorities. The offseason has spoken to that shift in focus, with the Mikal Bridges trade emphasizing the all but complete commitment to a long-term rebuild.
Despite the Nets' decision to focus on the future, there's a glaring need for a facilitator to ensure that the development of the players on the roster avoids being stunted.
Brooklyn has an intriguing assortment of up-and-coming players who project to factor into the team's long-term plans. That includes Nicolas Claxton, who re-signed with the franchise on a four-year, $97 million contract earlier this summer.
In saying that, Claxton and Cameron Johnson are the only two players on the roster with guaranteed salaries for the 2025-26 season—and Johnson is already being named in trade rumors.
One would think that the franchise is open to re-signing Cam Thomas, who will become a restricted free agent in 2025. Brooklyn will also likely accept club options for 2023 draft picks Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead, and Jalen Wilson.
In order to facilitate the development of the young building blocks, however, the Nets will need to find an answer at point guard—one that isn't Ben Simmons.
Nets need a facilitator to maintain the coherence on offense
Dennis Schröder will return for the 2024-25 season, but it's fair to believe that he'll be on the trade block sooner than later. Schröder is also more of a scorer than a distributor, albeit while playing at a respectable level in that regard.
In 2023-24, Schröder averaged a team-high 6.0 assists per game—but it was only the third time in 11 seasons that he's reached that mark.
Beyond the numbers, the Nets need a veteran who can calm the offense down and ensure that the young players are getting the ball at the right time. Winning is less of a priority at the moment, meaning Brooklyn can afford to take a chance on a player who may struggle in other areas of the game.
The goal must be to continue the development of Claxton and Thomas, and provide the likes of Clowney, Whitehead, and Wilson with a chance to come into their own as second-year players.
Relying on Simmons to return to the court is one of the reasons the Nets are in the position they are as non-contenders, thus making it an unreasonable idea in 2024-25. Even if he finally returns to the court and helps run the offense as well as his skill set permits him to, injuries have been a constant concern.
Simmons has appeared in just 57 games since the 2020-21 season, including the 15 that he played with the Nets in 2023-24.
By trading for or signing an undervalued veteran, the Nets could provide the younger players with a tone-setter on the court and in the locker room. It's a less aggressive approach than seeking out a possible franchise cornerstone, but it fits the timeline and preserves the efforts to land Cooper Flagg.
It may not create many headlines around the NBA, but simply bringing in a trusted veteran to run the offense could be the difference between a losing season and true incoherence on offense.