2. Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets won’t have a first-round draft pick until 2019. Former general manager Billy King traded the 2016, 2017, and 2018 first-round draft picks as a part of the deal that landed Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in Brooklyn.
Due to the insufficiency of young talent and no guarantee that free agency will change that, the Nets should give serious thought to trading for Brandon Knight.
Knight is a 24-year-old point guard who has four years at an affordable $56,500,000 million remaining on his current contract. He’s already emerged as a borderline All-Star and still has untapped potential to be explored.
If any head coach can help Knight maximize his upside as an NBA player, it’s Kenny Atkinson—one of the best player development specialists in the Association.
Atkinson has been credited with Jeremy Lin’s breakout season with the New York Knicks and Al Horford’s development with the Atlanta Hawks. Knight, meanwhile, has compiled averages of 17.8 points and 5.0 assists since 2013-14.
Lin could be the answer for the Nets at point guard, but Knight would give Brooklyn a younger complement or alternative who could make up for the scarcity of draft picks.