Fansided

NBA teams with the most to gain and lose in the 2018 Draft

By Jeremy Morris

SECAUCUS, NJ - MAY 20: A general view of the 2008 NBA Draft Lottery at the NBATV Studios on May 20, 2008 in Secaucus, New Jersey. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images)
SECAUCUS, NJ - MAY 20: A general view of the 2008 NBA Draft Lottery at the NBATV Studios on May 20, 2008 in Secaucus, New Jersey. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Kenny Atkinson and Spencer Dinwiddie (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images)
Kenny Atkinson and Spencer Dinwiddie (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images) /

Honorable Mention: Brooklyn Nets (20-44)

2018 Pick

  • First Round (from Toronto) — projected 27th-30th overall

Four future first round picks for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry (all on the wrong side of 35) sounded like a bad idea at the time. In hindsight, the Native Americans who traded Manhattan for $20 in trinkets probably got a better deal than the Nets did in 2014.

Even without their last four lottery picks, Brooklyn has assembled a decent core of young players though. And with the exception of Allen Crabbe, they’re all on relatively team friendly contracts.

Spencer Dinwiddie started the season as the team’s third point guard but has started 51 games and averaged 13.4 points and 6.9 assists per game. At 6-foot-6, Dinwiddie creates mismatches against most point guards and is an athletic, versatile defender at the other end of the floor.

The Nets drafted Jarrett Allen 22nd overall in the 2017. Most expected him to be more of a project, but the 19-year-old is well ahead of schedule at this point. He’s already one of the better rim protectors in the league at 6-foot-10 and has scored in double figures in 13 of Brooklyn’s last 17 games.

D’Angelo Russell averaged 21 points over 12 games to start the season before a knee injury caused him to miss 31 games. After returning, he struggled to find a role initially but has settled in and been great playing off the ball and supplementing Dinwiddie as a facilitator.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Allen Crabbe, and Caris LeVert are all solid contributors who average double figure points and will be under contract for at least next season.

When you only look at Brooklyn’s upside, the future seems bright. And that’s not to say that it isn’t, but the team’s dismal collection of veteran contracts puts a bit of a damper on things.

Jeremy Lin has missed the entire season with a knee injury. Mozgov has been healthy but he can’t defend on the perimeter or handle the pace of today’s game. DeMarre Carroll is having the best year of his career and is a valuable veteran presence but at 31, with his contract expiring after 2019, it’s unclear how long he’ll be around as the Nets rebuild.

Brooklyn has limited cap space so landing a major free agent is a virtual impossibility. Joe Harris will become a free agent at the end of this season and by the time Carroll and Lin’s contracts expire, Dinwiddie, Russell, and Hollis-Jefferson will be free agents.

The Nets’ front office will have some decisions to make in the next two offseasons and they could REALLY use more picks than just a late first rounder. Putting together a winning team isn’t easy. Putting together a winning team with only one or two rookie contracts and having to pay veteran minimums across the board is near impossible.

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