Brooklyn Nets To Sign Trevor Booker To 2-Year Deal
The Brooklyn Nets continue their impressive offseason rebuilding through free agency by agreeing to terms with live wire and future fan favorite Trevor Booker.
The Brooklyn Nets have started to retool their roster. Jeremy Lin, formerly of the Charlotte Hornets, has been their most successful reported agreement.
The Nets have reportedly reached agreements with Justin Hamilton, who played in Spain last year, while Tyler Johnson and Allen Crabbe are expected to be given offer sheets next year.
Their latest deal they have reached is reportedly with Trevor Booker, formerly of the Utah Jazz as reported by Scott Kushner of The Advocate For me, this is their second-most important agreement that they have made this week, after Lin of course.
That is a pretty big statement for a player who for a player that has never averaged more than 8.4 points per game for a season.
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In fact, Booker has career averages of 6.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.
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The 23rd pick from the 2010 draft has managed to forge a really good career. This latest deal is reportedly worth $18.5 million over the two years.
So if it is not his stats that are so important, what is it? It is his spirit, his attitude and his other intangibles, including his energy.
Last season Booker averaged 5.9 points per game at a shooting percentage of 49 percent, good bench numbers to keep the scoreboard ticking while his starter is off the floor.
Booker also averaged 5.7 rebounds per games last year, again not bad numbers off the bench.
However, the number within a number that I love here is that of the 5.7 rebounds, more than one third of these were offensive–2.1 per game is a good number for anyone, let alone a bench player who averages 20.6 minutes per game.
It is no wonder he is a fan favorite. What fan does not love the energy required for two offensive rebounds a game. Kristaps Porzingis was shooting really well in his rookie season, but what won the fans over? His put-back dunks.
As a fan I know that I love nothing more than if my team misses a shot than another team mate getting the offensive rebound for the second chance point.
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Brooklyn will be Booker’s third NBA home in seven years after spending four years with the Washington Wizards and then two years with the Jazz.
At this stage of free agency, it looks like Booker is the Nets starting power forward, as they traded away Thaddeus Young for the 20th pick in the NBA draft, 6-foot-7 shooting guard Caris LeVert.
Brooklyn still really needs to get a starting power forward. Booker is a good player, but is not at a starter level. His energy is best used coming off the bench where he can be a spark.
No matter what happens, surely Brooklyn cannot be as bad as they were last year. They were the third-worst in the NBA last year, ahead of only the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers.
Philadelphia had the first pick in the NBA draft and Los Angeles had the second pick and therefore both teams should be better.
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Without a draft pick of their own, the Brooklyn Nets have to retool in free agency and with time left, they can get another few good players with all of their lovely cap space. Trevor Booker is a nice start.