Brooklyn Nets: Who is worth keeping beyond 2018?

While general manager Sean Marks has only had the job for two offseasons, his third summer will be crucial for future of the Brooklyn Nets.

The Brooklyn Nets have built themselves up from next to nothing. Devoid of anything close to an asset before 2015, the Nets had to make something out of nothing. They have done so indeed, loading the roster and asset cupboards simultaneously.

Unfortunately, just as quickly as Marks acquired youngsters, he must also decide which ones should stick around. It’s an arduous exercise, and even tougher for a team far from contention.

Most teams reach this stage just as they are close to playoff-caliber. The Nets do not have this luxury, and must evaluate with a much longer view than the average young team. Put simply, they must think like a contender before becoming one.

Luckily, the current roster has distinct tiers of young players in terms of their long-term potential. Eight of the nine under-25 players can be split into two tiers.

Locks

The group of definite keepers is relatively simple. These players have the most potential of the current Nets.

Although D’Angelo Russell has gone through some rough patches, he has displayed enough promising signs to warrant the “keeper” status. His crafty ball-handling, scoring off the dribble, shooting off the catch, and great passing vision all make him an ideal fit for Kenny Atkinson’s attack.

Being the No. 2 overall selection in a draft is typically enough credibility to keep a player around, but Russell has shown legitimate flashes of star potential as well. Giving up on him now would be a fatal mistake.

Debatable

The debate truly begins with the players in this group. Several players are in this category, all with varying classes of talent. Here, favorable outcomes will likely come down to context more than potential.

For example, although Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is a valuable defender, he might be too expensive to retain. As a restricted free agent this summer, he has a chance to be overpaid by a rebuilding team.

Granted, RHJ has been inefficient from downtown (24.2 percent for his career), and few teams will have cap space. The Nets could retain him at a reasonable price if his market dries up. For him, it’s about money as opposed to talent.

Another mediocre shooter, Spencer Dinwiddie (32.3 percent on the season) seems like a possible trade candidate. However, it is possible for the team to sell high on him if they feel his backcourt coexistence with D’Angelo Russell is unsustainable.

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His savvy passing and exceptional size for a guard (6’6″) make him an enticing option. Combined with his rags-to-riches ascent, WINwiddie has enthralled fans across the NBA. Shipping off a player like him would be saddening, but he might get overpaid as a free agent in 2019.

Selling high on him, if the front office fears regression, could be the move. A prime example of how far Dinwiddie could regress is Michael Carter-Williams, another poor 3-point shooter with excellent size. Obviously it would be an insult to label Dinwiddie as such a risk, but the Nets’ cap situation could make him a flight risk regardless.

A Net of considerably lower notability than the others on this list is guard Nik Stauskas. As the former eighth overall pick from the University of Michigan, Sauce Castillo was tabbed as a future sniper. Due to limited playing time, however, Stauskas failed to catch on with the Sacramento Kings, and subsequently failed to stick again with the Philadelphia 76ers.

As a Net, he has made the most of his time. Despite averaging only 13 minutes per game as a Net, he is ripping twine on 41.3 percent of his 2.8 attempts. Over a large sample, these numbers are considerable.

On a game-to-game basis, however, he is Brooklyn’s version of J.R. Smith. The epitome of hit-or-miss, Stauskas can lose a team a lead as quickly as he can help build one. Also, he is a poor defender, making him useless when he is cold. Keeping him around only makes sense if he costs close to the veteran’s minimum.

Summary

It was quite a long journey to sort out who is worth keeping (so thanks for sticking around, readers. You’re the real MVPs). Jahlil Okafor, another youngster, did not make the cut. He does not warrant more than two sentences of analysis.

Including Jeremy Lin in the total, four players should be kept long-term, and up to three more could be retained. That leaves at least seven roster spots for fliers and veteran glue guys.

Next: 2017-18 Week 22 NBA Power Rankings

The fun is only just beginning in Brooklyn.

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