While the Knicks have been steaming toward a title, the Nets have been suffering through a tank. Now it’s time for a turn.
As Brooklyn faces the ignominy of watching a potential parade across the East River, they’ll at least try to add talent and compete.
And even though they’ve missed their window on stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Donovan Mitchell, there are plenty of realistic targets to help an organic rebuild.
Targets like Austin Reaves. Or Peyton Watson or Tari Eason or others.
Once Reaves opts out of the final $14.9 million year of his Lakers contract, he will become one of the most sought-after players on the market this summer. And there is widespread feeling around the league that the Nets will be the most prominent of those seekers.
It should be stressed that the majority expectation is that Reaves will be back with the Lakers next year.
He has stated that he wants to be back, they want to retain him and Luka Doncic seemingly wants him. But as a soon-to-be unrestricted free agent, Reaves’ fate is in his hands, unlike restricted free agents such as Watson, Eason or Jalen Duren. The decision is entirely up to him.
Brooklyn could make picking them tempting.
While the Nets are nowhere near contention, and would be ill-advised to deplete assets in a desperation trade, they do have more than enough salary cap space to lure a max player. A player like Reaves wouldn’t cost tons of draft picks.
Two weeks ago, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps singled out Brooklyn as a serious rival to the Lakers for Reaves. Then on Friday, the Athletic’s Lakers beat writer Dan Woike reported that the Nets are “expected” to offer Reaves a four-year, $178.5 million pact when free agency tips off June 30. The Athletic also cited the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks as interested teams.
It should be noted that the Lakers can offer Reaves five years and $239 million, though it remains to be seen how high new owner Mark Walter will go.
Nets GM Sean Marks has important offseason decisions to make, both micro and macro.
The first will be how to run draft night: whether to move up or down from sixth, or to sit tight at sixth — and who to take. Then there is whether to renegotiate Michael Porter Jr. and extend him past his $40 million expiring deal.
But from 30,000 feet, the Nets — who don’t control their 2027 draft pick — must develop a young team with no incentive to tank. Do they use their $35 million to $40 million in cap space to add veterans in free agency or trade? Or keep making moves to horde future assets, like when they took Porter with Denver’s 2032 pick attached?
The eventual answer may be somewhere in between. Brooklyn can look to add starting-caliber players without emptying their first-round surplus (they do have 21 second-rounders to move). Which is why Reaves would be so attractive, even if he ended up being a sign-and-trade.
Reaves averaged 23.5 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds on a team led by Doncic and LeBron James. He poured in 28.6 points and eight assists in ten games without Doncic, and would get his own team in Brooklyn, forming a 1-2 punch with Porter.
Andrew Wiggins, Rui Hachimura and Sandro Mamukelashvili are all possible unrestricted free agent targets, while Watson, Eason and even Duren are all restricted, meaning their teams can retain them by matching any offer.
Nets equipment manager Forrest Weber is officially on the ballot for an Emmy — best supporting actor — for his portrayal as Junior in “Black Rabbit.”
Nominations haven’t been announced yet, but Weber drew strong reviews for his work in the New York-based Netflix hit, which ironically filmed partly at Barclays Center, where he works in his other job.
“It’s definitely an honor to have my name on the ballot for Emmy’s consideration, and to be a member of the Television Academy — a great stepping stone in the right direction for my career,” Weber told The Post. “I’ve never worked on anything harder and I’m very proud of what I brought to the table in ‘Black Rabbit,’ but I’m also very focused on how deserving this show is, as a whole. Every single second was intricately crafted and nuanced, and I’m hoping our family of creators get the recognition they deserve.”
