Five Thoughts On Brooklyn Nets Heading Into Free Agency

1. All signs point to Joe Harris remaining a Net when free agency opens on Friday evening at 6 p.m. Brooklyn has repeatedly said Harris is the team’s No. 1 priority in FA – and, due to salary-cap constraints, they can’t afford to replace him if he leaves. He is expected to received somewhere in the neighborhood of $15-20 million annually on a multi-year deal, according to people around the league (confining previous reports). The 29-year-old sharpshooter has a chance to really feast from beyond the arc, especially if Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving can both stay healthy. Harris shot 42.4 percent from 3-point range last season – basically right at his career mark (42.6). His story is a good one – reflective of the team’s turnaround in the standings. In his first year in Brooklyn, he made less than $1 million. But he worked hard, performed and put himself in a position to be paid handsomely.

2. As we first reported, Kevin Durant has been recruiting former teammate Serge Ibaka. The 31-year-old big man will have his choice of suitors. He could go back to Toronto on a multi-year deal for what some estimated as $15 million per season. The Lakers are another intriguing destination – a combination of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and sun. Either way, Ibaka’s value is immense. He plays both ends of the floor. He’s won a title before. And he’s a good character guy in the locker room. As noted, he’d have to take a significant discount to play with the Nets, who can currently only offer the $5.7 million taxpayers mid-level exception. But one interesting thing to consider, aside from Durant and Ibaka’s close friendship. Ibaka got switched onto Durant when No. 35 suffered his devastating Achilles’ injury. The Dec. 22 opener will mark 561 days since that incident. Everything, of course, hinges on KD’s health when he returns. Perhaps the two will be playing together as teammates when that happens.

3. James Harden still wants Brooklyn. And KD still wants to play with his former teammate. Sean Marks suggested in his Zoom interview with reporters Friday morning that he didn’t foresee his team, “changing five or six guys on the roster.” He also said, “We like the group we have right now.” But Marks has also said multiple times, “you have to be willing to pivot” if the opportunity arises. What it comes down to is that the Nets don’t have enough assets-wise to satisfy the Rockets. Houston wants a better centerpiece than Caris LeVert. And Harden isn’t a natural fit onto Brooklyn’s roster. Perhaps the Nets find a third team to make the blockbuster deal work. Perhaps something else changes. If not, their roster is still talented. They’d also be able to hold onto all their first-round picks. And maybe talks can be re-visited once the season begins and they see what they need. Regardless, they have been hunting a third star for awhile. The hunt continues.

4. Agent Spencer Dinwiddie is ultimately seeking a raise and a bigger role for his client … Spencer Dinwiddie. The bottom line, as we’ve suggested, is that Brooklyn probably isn’t the place for that. And, as a result, it would be a surprise if Dinwiddie is still around come 2020-21. If Dinwiddie is still around, though, his greatest value – aside from his obvious talent – is as valuable insurance in case Irving gets hurt. But it should be noted again that Dinwiddie is likely to opt out at season’s end, and the Nets won’t want to lose him for nothing. It’s something Marks and his staff will need to figure out.

5. Landry Shamet’s draft-night acquisition was a signal that a championship-or-bust team doesn’t have time for rookies. The 23-year-old guard is a career 40 percent 3-point shooter who is also playoff battle-tested. He didn’t play well in the bubble, but he also was coming off a bout with COVID-19. By the way, KD greatly respects Shamet’s game. After an April 2019 matchup, Durant said of Shamet, “I think he’s going to be a force in this league.” The Nets also got 24-year-old “3-And-D” man Bruce Brown in that three-way deal. Brown made 99 career starts in Detroit. Two more quality role players to add to the mix, with veteran Garret Temple getting his $5 million option declined as a result. That was anticipated, as first reported by SNY’s Ian Begley.