Report: Nets 'can dream about adding impact player' in 2016

By foxsports
Published

It seems so patronizing, right? The Nets "can dream about adding an impact player."

Congrats on the dreams, I guess.

Except it's not actually all that negative from NBA.com's David Aldridge. The Nets are in possibly a worse position for the future than any other franchise in the NBA given their lack of draft picks in the coming years, though they did set themselves up slightly better for down the line this summer, as they shed some money and got under the luxury tax line for the first time in years.

Now, they're crossing their fingers that they can sign someone, anyone of meaning during the summer of 2016. Here's more from Aldridge, one of the best reporters in the business:

Here's the problem with banking on 2016: There aren't that many great free agents. And cap space doesn't mean what it once did.

Sure, cap space was great when you were one of four or five or six teams to have enough room to bring in a max player. But that won't be the case next offseason, when two-thirds of the league has enough room to bring in a guy on a max deal, given the anticipated all-time rise in next year's cap as a result of the NBA's new television deal. 

So, keep dreaming, Nets. It may only stay a dream this whole time.

(h/t NBA.com)

THE KEY MAN: Jarrett Jack. Our John Schuhmann will blow a gasket, but Deron Williams' departure means Jack will start and get big minutes next season. He was terrific for Golden State a couple of years ago as a third guard, but has struggled for consistency the last two seasons in Cleveland and Brooklyn. But it's Jack's team to run now.

THE SKINNY: Under pressure from The Prokhorov to get salaries under control and avoid the repeater luxury tax, GM Billy King sliced his payroll by almost $20 million despite spending market rate to re-sign Lopez and Young. The key was getting rid of Williams, whose lack of productivity, injuries and grouchiness produced a perfect storm of unpopularity. His departure will mean an offense that goes almost exclusively through Lopez and Joe Johnson. Hollis-Jefferson could become a defensive terror in time, and on the occasions when Brooklyn can run, he and Young could be exceptional lane fillers. But that would require a significant improvement at the defensive end -- the Nets were 24th in the league last season in defensive rating, 25th in opponent effective field goal percentage, 18th in points allowed and 24th in steals. Brooklyn got a lot younger and cheaper, though, and has enough moveable pieces and cap space in 2016 to be able to at least dream about adding an impact free agent.