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Brooklyn Nets: Pre-free agency roundtable

By Christopher Lavinio

Feb 19, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets new general manager Sean Marks (left) in a suite with team owner Mikhail Prokhorov during the first quarter against the New York Knicks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 19, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets new general manager Sean Marks (left) in a suite with team owner Mikhail Prokhorov during the first quarter against the New York Knicks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

2. The clock has struck 12 a.m. ET on July 1. If you’re the Nets general manager, what free agent are you calling first?

BR:  Otto Porter Jr. should be the first call the Nets make. Through four NBA seasons, Porter Jr. has proved to be a steady two-way wing capable of lighting it up from beyond the arc (43.4 percent last season). At 23 years old, Porter Jr. hasn’t even reached his prime and would fit the Nets’ competitive timeline perfectly. Porter Jr.’s shooting ability and off-ball cutting savvy would fit beautifully on the wing next to Jeremy Lin and D’Angelo Russell.

JO:  I’m calling teams desperate for cap space. Unless you’re signing a bonafide All-Star, free agency is a waste of time. Bad teams are forced to overpay for average talent and then they’re stuck with the bad contracts of players they never really wanted in the first place. Why sign Danilo Gallinari to the same four-year, $80 million contract Ryan Anderson got last season when the Rockets will happily give you the remaining three years on Anderson’s contract AND a draft pick as a thank you? #TeamSignNoOne now and forever.

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JS:  JayMychal Green. I love how he can guard multiple positions as a big and he shoots the three a lot better than one would believe at first blush. He is a restricted free agent, so the Memphis Grizzlies probably match, but their payroll is bloated.  It is pointless to chase a restricted free agent whose team will match to a near 100 percent certainty (Hi, Otto Porter).

But chasing a restricted free agent where the chance the incumbent team balks at matching is worthwhile. The reason: Given the Nets cannot attract big-time unrestricted free agents, the opportunity cost is low. If Memphis matches, it’s not as though you lost out on all these great pieces as a result. Overall, the Nets should explore the money dump market, and young free agents with upside.

DB:  I will only talk about if we aren’t planning on more salary dumps — even though there’s definitely a good chance the Nets absorb another contract this offseason or even next season. So my answer, let’s pretend we’re actually spending money on some great vets for our youth movement.

Here are my choices and why I think they deserve to get paid. By the way, I’m not factoring in any restricted free agents. Why are these these players on my list? Well for starters, they’re proven players. Most can stretch the floor, provide some toughness and potentially run the paint. Some might get overpaid, but our main core is still young and are far from its prime. It’s perfectly fine to give them some great company, so Sean and Kenny can mold them into unforgettable players.

There are a lot of X-factors on who you call first because Brooklyn has a lot of guards. The frontcourt on the other hand could use some upgrades. I do think that some of my upgrades are unrealistic because of roster depth and developing youth.The most realistic players I have listed would be J.J. Redick and Ersan Ilyasova and Jonas Jerebko. After that, the rest are a stretch, not just for their financial value, but also their current team’s pull factor:

FORWARDS:

GUARDS:

CENTERS:

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