NBA free agency: 10 destinations for Derrick Rose in 2017
By John Buhler
147. . East. Atlantic. Brooklyn Nets. 6. player
Things might still seem bleak for the hapless Brooklyn Nets entering the 2016-17 NBA season. Brooklyn still has one more year of minimal salary cap flexibility, but things start to open up once more next summer.
Brooklyn really only has two big and lengthy contracts: Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young. Both can hit free agency in summer 2018, but the Nets will already have some cap space open to sign an underpriced point guard. Frankly, they’ll need to.
That’s because both Jarrett Jack and Shane Larkin are free agents next summer, leaving a void that Rose could easily fill. Rose won’t command $20 million on his new deal in 2017 free agency because who is going to give it to him? Even if Rose can grab $15 million from the Nets in 2017-18, it won’t be as arduous with the salary cap already pushing $100 million that year.
Joining Brooklyn next summer would make for a smooth transition for Rose as he’ll already be in the city after playing for the 2016-17 Knicks on an expiring deal. Not to say that the 2017-18 Nets will be playoff caliber with Lopez, Rose, and Young, but things will improve in Brooklyn with Sean Marks in the front office and Kenny Atkinson as head coach.
Next: 5. Golden State Warriors.