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Despite Kevin Durant's heroic performances in the NBA playoffs, the Brooklyn Nets could not hold off the Milwaukee Bucks and crashed out in the semi-finals.
It was a difficult end to the Nets' campaign after the season-long hype that surrounded the team and the expectations from all corners that they would lift the title. Injuries hampered their hopes, though, with Kyrie Irving and James Harden both missing more than three games each in the series against Milwaukee.
Despite the superstars at their disposal, there are still concerns that must be addressed in the offseason by the Brooklyn Nets' organization. We will tackle three such issues in this article.
3 issues the Brooklyn Nets need to tackle this summer
Life in the NBA isn't always straightforward. After assembling one of the most-frightening trios in league history, the Brooklyn Nets were unable to win their first championship title.
Aside from their 'Big Three' getting healthy this summer and nursing the injuries that put Irving and Harden out of action in the playoffs, the front office has a plethora of decisions to make. Let's dive into a few of them now.
#1 Contract extensions with 'Big Three'
The biggest concern for the Brooklyn Nets is the future of their three superstars. Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving will all be available to sign contract extensions in the NBA offseason which would max out in excess of $215m.
While it is expected the three players will re-sign, it is not impossible to conceive of the idea that the trio may split up. There have been murmurings, which have spread like wildfire recently, about the difficult environment Irving can create at times in the Brooklyn Nets locker room.
However, he, along with Durant and Harden, have such immense player power that they can negotiate whatever they want with the franchise. Ideally for the Nets, that would be the three of them working together to figure out the best deal for themselves as a group and leaving the team with some salary flexibility to bring in others.
Without their 'Big Three', the Brooklyn Nets would not be title favorites next year. Therefore, it is essential that if the organization wants to win in the short-term and keep their championship window open, they give the stars what they want.
#2 Filling out the roster
There's no doubting the brilliance of the Brooklyn Nets' 'Big Three', however they can't win a ball game alone, and with their injuries it was essential that the team had valuable players who could step up in their place.
Joe Harris struggled in the playoffs, but was electric during the regular season and led the league in 3-point percentage. Jeff Green tallied 27 points against the Bucks in game five, while Blake Griffin was a consistent scorer and rebounder throughout the postseason. The Nets front office now has a plethora of decisions to make regarding who to bring back to support the superstars and who to let go in free agency.
They likely won't be able to afford Blake Griffin's contract and may have to use some of their younger role players to bring in an experienced 3-and-D option. Furthermore, although they have four draft picks this year, only one comes in the first round at 28th. Therefore, it is highly unlikely any of them will be able to crack into the Nets' rotation and should be instead used to bring in a cheap bench two-way player.
Whatever the course of action they decide on, the Nets need to assemble a deep enough roster where they have players who can step in if their stars are out, as well as rise to the occasion in the playoffs.
#3 What to do with frontcourt issues
While the Brooklyn Nets have the most-feared backcourt in the league, their struggles in the paint and on defense will continue into next season unless they make adjustments in the frontcourt. Promising young center Nicolas Claxton can sign a contract extension this summer, Blake Griffin and Jeff Green are becoming free agents and DeAndre Jordan is eating up a lot of cap space for a player who didn't see a minute on the floor in the playoffs.
All of this leaves the Nets in a tough spot - on top of the fact that they only have their mid-level exception to utilize in the market. There are some available frontcourt options who will become free agents in the summer they could sign with that though, including Knicks center Nerlens Noel, the Bucks' P.J. Tucker, or former three-time champion Andre Iguodala.
The Nets front office will certainly be looking to see what value they can draw from the free agency market and will be the top target for players looking to chase a championship. If they are in search of a bigger star to put in the paint, though, the Nets could potentially use their three second-round draft picks this year and Joe Harris in a trade package to bring in a center.
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