How Does Brooklyn Nets' Conservative Draft Approach Affect Future Plans?

The franchise stayed quiet despite ample opportunity to snag an upcoming pro.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Mikal Bridges is gone. Nic Claxton was extended. The 2024 NBA Draft has concluded. What is next for the Brooklyn Nets?

Clearly no remaining prospect on day two of the draft intrigued Brooklyn enough to strike, because the organization has more than enough draft capital thanks to the Bridges move to have secured either Tyler Smith or Tyler Kolek. But they didn't pull the trigger.

So, now what? The Nets' deal with the Houston Rockets to re-acquire their first-round selections in 2025 and 2026 may provide the answer, and it's a simple one. Brooklyn is headed for a full-on tank. Complete rebuild.

The 2025 NBA Draft is viewed to contain far better prospects than the one that just took place at the Barclays Center, largely due to Cooper Flagg being viewed as the best American prospect since Zion Williamson in 2019. Imagine year one of the rebuild concluding with Flagg wearing black and white.

There won't be any big swings in free agency, and that's the right move. General manager Sean Marks has already built this franchise from the ground up once, but the big three that he assembled simply didn't work out. Brooklyn is going to be among the worst teams in the league, at least for the next two seasons. Beyond that? Marks has proved he can right the ship quickly, but for now, the main focus for the 2024-25 campaign needs to center around player development.

Rumors suggest the Nets aren't done tearing things down, as one or all of Cameron Johnson, Ben Simmons, Dorian Finney-Smith, Bojan Bogdanovic, Day'Ron Sharpe and Dennis Schroder will potentially be on the move in the coming weeks.

It's a new day in Brooklyn, and it's for the best.

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