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Despite having one of the strongest teams in the league, the Brooklyn Nets have not rested on their laurels in the NBA free agency market as they continue to be one of the favorites to lift the title next year.
Had Kevin Durant's foot been a bit smaller, the outcome of the Nets' 2020-21 season may have been very different. As it was, Steve Nash's men will have been left with a bitter taste in their mouths and a point to prove in the upcoming campaign.
With little manouevarability financially in the 2021 NBA free agency window, the Brooklyn Nets used their full taxpayer midlevel exception to sign Patty Mills as a backup to Kyrie Irving and had to rely on others to sign for the minimum or via their qualifying offer. Given their status as title favorites, though, the Nets were able to make solid additions to the roster, addressing their defensive frailties while bringing back two of their own free agents.
Let's take a look at each of the Brooklyn Nets' moves in the 2021 NBA free agency window so far and how the roster looks as a whole ahead of the new season.
Patty Mills
The Brooklyn Nets' biggest scoop in NBA free agency was signing former champion Patty Mills. Many teams are vying to sign the 33-year-old this summer, though the Nets were able to persuade him to move to the east coast given their strong chances of lifting the championship trophy.
Mills had a solid campaign for the San Antonio Spurs last season, averaging 10.8 points and 2.4 assists as the team's backup point guard. He is a very durable player and is extremely reliable with the ball in his hands, having averaged only one turnover per game throughout his career. Over the offseason, Mills represented Australia at the Tokyo Olympics and scored 42 points against Slovenia to lead the country to its first basketball medal.
Blake Griffin
One of the most important players for the Brooklyn Nets to bring back in free agency was Blake Griffin. What's more, they did it on a one-year deal, giving them flexibility going forward.
The 32-year-old reinvented himself after moving midseason from the Detroit Pistons, showing his durability as a defender in the playoffs and versatility as a scorer. In the playoffs, he averaged nine points per game, shooting at 53% from the field, and 5.9 rebounds. He has also developed his three-point shot, connecting with 39% of treys in the postseason.
Griffin proved to be a viable small-ball option for the Brooklyn Nets due to his physical strength in the paint. He frequently held up Giannis Antetokounmpo in the Nets' interior and offers more on offense than both of the team's bigs.
Bruce Brown
The Brooklyn Nets also opted to bring back Bruce Brown. The 25-year-old, like Griffin, understands his role in Steve Nash's team and was a consistent option both as a starter and off the bench this season. He lived off of his floater game, putting up 8.8 points per game on 55% shooting from the field on 22 minutes. His rebounding rate per 36 minutes was the second-best in the league for players 6'4" and under, averaging 5.4 per matchup.
Brown was ever-present in the playoffs, with Harden and Irving both battling injuries. He played 52 of the 53 minute slog against the Milwaukee Bucks in game seven, scoring 14 points and grabbing six rebounds and two steals. In a team not best known for its defensive attributes, he was one of their better defenders and had a positive defensive box plus-minus.
DeAndre' Bembry
Hoping to improve their perimeter defense after a failed move for Andre Iguodala, the Brooklyn Nets signed 27-year-old DeAndre' Bembry to a one-year deal. The versatile forward has averaged a steal per game in his five seasons in the league and had his best defensive box +/- rating last year of 1.2.
Bembry's offensive numbers weren't great with the Toronto Raptors last year, averaging 5.7 points and shooting at 26% from deep. However, the Brooklyn Nets have scorers and for what they could afford, bringing in a defensive stopper on the wing was more important.
James Johnson
James Johnson will bring some versatility to the Brooklyn Nets' frontcourt this season. Signed to a one-year deal, the 34-year-old could play at either forward position off the bench or as a small-ball center. Johnson is a solid player on both ends of the court and has had a positive defensive box +/- in each of his 12 years in the league.
Last season, playing with both the Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans, Johnson averaged 7.2 points and 3.5 rebounds in 20 minutes per game.
Jevon Carter
Adding to their depth of new defensive options, the Brooklyn Nets brought in Jevon Carter from the Phoenix Suns. Carter won both the NABC Defensive Player of the Year and Naismith Defensive Player of the Year at West Virginia and has averaged 1.6 steals per 36 minutes in his NBA career so far.
They will also have wanted to add characters to their locker room and resilliance. In the Phoenix Suns' run to the NBA Finals, although Carter hardly played, he was one of the most vocal players on the sideline and an excellent teammate. He will likely play third fiddle behind Irving and Mills at point guard but can reliably fill in as a defensive option should Irving become injured again.
Brooklyn Nets' depth chart
The Brooklyn Nets will go into the 2021-22 season as favorites for the championship alongside the LA Lakers. They have one of the most feared trios of stars the league has ever witnessed and will have a chip on their shoulders after narrowly losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in last year's playoffs.
Had they not struggled with so many injuries last season, it's difficult to imagine that they wouldn't have made the NBA Finals. Fully healthy, they are the best offensive team in the league without a doubt.
However, games aren't won solely on dazzling offense. As the Milwaukee Bucks showed this year, you need to have a solid foundation to pair with your elite scorers. Therefore, the Brooklyn Nets have gone out in NBA free agency and brought in defensive stoppers with the limited trading ability they had at their disposal.
Outwith their 'Big Three', the Nets will be looking to Joe Harris to have a better campaign after the 3-point specialist struggled to make a big impact in the playoffs when his fellow starters were sidelined. Patty Mills will also be thrust into the spotlight as the team's leader of their second unit and could prove to be among the signings of the season.
Overall, the Brooklyn Nets have somehow made themselves look even better. If they can stay fit, teams will struggle to stop them but may still have some success in the paint without the Nets having a reliable big man. Kevin Durant will be out to win the league's MVP award while James Harden will continue to be the team's primary facilitator as he chases his first ring.
