The Brooklyn Nets finally have their draft pick next season; now what?
By Ben Stinar
Five years later, the Brooklyn Nets will own their 2019 NBA Draft pick. The question is, what comes next for the rebuild?
The jokes can finally stop. This is not a drill, the Brooklyn Nets will 100 percent own the rights to their own NBA Draft pick next year. This should be cause for another tanking next season, right? Not so fast.
Over the last three seasons, there has not been much relevancy in Brooklyn. After spending big money and failing, owner Mikhail Prokhorov agreed to a rebuild. They dumped stars such as Deron Williams and Joe Johnson moved on from Billy King and the team ultimately began its rebuild.
This upcoming 2018-19 NBA season will now be the fourth year of the rebuild, and with the rights to their own draft pick for the first time in five years, they possess more questions than answers. The past three years the Nets knew their roster was weak, so the focus has been on player development and building a winning culture.
Prokhorov, the first ever Russian owner, came into the league claiming the Brooklyn Nets would be NBA champions within five years. This obviously did not happen and surprising everyone, he has completely shifted his stance and allowed for a rebuild without meddling. Will year four see the Russian billionaire start to get impatient?
Some fans think this is blatantly obvious and the Nets should tank for the likes of a top-five pick, while others think they should make a run for the playoffs. Both are wrong.
Ironically, with all of the chaos surrounding what they should do next year, the answer is right in front of them. The Nets should do exactly what they have been doing the last three years: develop their players, build a winning culture and seek opportunities. Really, it’s that simple.
Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft - Doncic still No. 1 in post-lottery edition
If we look at the landscape of the NBA, this roster is in the bottom tier. Yes, the Brooklyn Nets will be better and maybe even competitive, but they should not change their thinking based on owning their own draft pick, because odds are, they probably won’t have a say in the matter when they miss the playoffs anyways.