National Basketball Association

Brooklyn Nets: How Does Their Current Rebuild Compare to Those of the Past?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:11 p.m. ET

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Feb 19, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets new general manager Sean Marks speaks to the media during a press conference before a game against the New York Knicks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

For years now, the Brooklyn Nets have been bad. The old saying, there is light at the end of the tunnel, is true. The question is, how much longer is this tunnel?

The Brooklyn Nets have been a historically bad franchise. It is not to say the team never had good moments. Players like Dr. J, Buck Williams, Drazen Petrovic, and Jason Kidd have all contributed positive things to the franchise. It is the years in between these players where fans go through heartache. Rebuilds normally take more than just a couple of seasons. And depending on the rebuild, the general manager will look to rebuild through the draft, free agency, trades, or a combination of all three.

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For the Nets, they have always done rebuilds through drafting and trading. Considering New Jersey was never a top destination for free agents, the Nets had to always draft talent or make a trade to bring in talent. For example, the 2001-02 Nets team that reached the NBA finals was made of drafted players or traded players. Kerry Kittles was drafted in 1996 by the Nets. Keith Van Horn was drafted the following year in 1997. Kenyon Martin was the number 1 pick in the 2000 draft. In 2001, Richard Jefferson and Jason Collins were drafted by the Houston Rockets. The night of the draft, the Nets traded Eddie Griffin for those two. To top it off, the Nets traded Stephon Marbury for Jason Kidd. Every name here was a key part to the Nets’ finals run in 2002.

This wasn’t the only time the Nets organization did something like this. It has been a rinse and repeat cycle for most of their time as a franchise. The problem lies in recent years.

Nov 3, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) drives against Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams (12) during the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Brooklyn Nets won 116-85. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

A Good Start to a Rebuild

The Nets have only had two winning seasons and three playoff appearances in the post-Jason Kidd era. For those who don’t know, next season would mark a decade since Kidd wore a Nets uniform. Why have the Nets been so unsuccessful since then? They simply did not trust the process.

In the summer of 2008, the Nets started their rebuild by drafting Brook Lopez. The following year, the Nets dropped the ball, selecting Terrence Williams 11th overall. In 2010, they made made a smart pick, taking Derrick Favors 3rd overall. At this point, the Nets had a solid three players in Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, and Derrick Favors. Had the team continued to lose, they could still fill out their roster knowing Lopez and Favors would further their development.

At the end of the 2011 season, the Nets made a blockbuster trade that sent Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, a 2011 first-round pick, and a 2013 first-round pick to Utah for Deron Williams. At the time, this seemed like a smart move. Williams was coming off back-to-back All-Star seasons with the Jazz. The Nets felt this move would give them the type of point guard they have been missing since Kidd. Williams had an outstanding season in New Jersey, averaging 21 points and 8.7 assists per game. He was even considered a top 10 player by ESPN rankings. Unfortunately, Williams had some injuries throughout the 2011-12 season that held him to only playing in 55 games.

Nov 1, 2014; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams (8) warms up before the game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

The Move to Brooklyn

Here is where the Nets really started to change their ways. In the past, the Nets have made only one or two trades to bring in superstars. The rest of the team was drafted talent. The Nets were so desperate to have a good team moving to Brooklyn, they made yet another trade. During the 2011-12 season, the Nets brought in Gerald Wallace. Brooklyn really jumped the gun with this trade. Wallace was a solid role player at the time, but the Nets gave up a little too much for him, trading away their 2012 first-round draft pick. The pick was only top three protected. The Nets lost out in the draft lottery and landed exactly where they were supposed to. This lead to the Trail Blazers using the sixth overall pick on Damian Lillard.

At the time, this was not too devastating. The Nets already had their point guard of the future and in the summer of 2012, Brooklyn made another big trade. They traded a bunch of players and a 2013 first round pick to Atlanta for Joe Johnson. Trading another draft pick may appear unpleasant reading it right now, but it was a smart move at the time. The Nets added a guy who could score 20 points on any given night. The draft pick was unimportant because the organization felt it was going to be a late pick anyway. This move completed a quick rebuild for the Nets. With the team jumping from 22 wins to 49 wins, things seemed to be going in the right direction.

Nov 1, 2014; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Brooklyn Nets center Kevin Garnett (2) high fives guard Joe Johnson (7) and guard Deron Williams (8) during the third quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

What went wrong?

The Brooklyn Nets were not satisfied with the season they just had. Even though the team started off slow, they finished 35-19 under P.J. Carlesimo. Carlesimo did a great job, but the Nets fired him and brought in Jason Kidd. This move was questionable, but nonetheless, Kidd is considered the greatest Net of all time. Having him as head coach was exciting for the organization and fans everywhere.

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But the Nets continued with rapid changes. With Mikhail Prokhorov coming up on his five-year promise of an NBA championship, he told Billy King to make any moves necessary to compete for a championship. Considering the Nets were in the same conference as the Miami Heat, who at the time had LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Ray Allen, it would be hard to make a competing roster. That didn’t stop King though. King went ahead and made probably the worst trade in NBA history.

On July 12, 2013, the Brooklyn Nets traded Keith Bogans, Kris Humphries, Marshon Brooks, Gerald Wallace, a 2014 first-round pick, a 2016 first-round pick, a 2018 first-round pick, and a right to swap picks in 2017 to the Celtics. In return, the Nets received Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry. Just in case you did not know, none of the picks listed above have protection on them.

Well, the thought process here was that the Nets would be title contenders for the next five years and that the draft picks would not be useful. Aside from Joe Johnson showing up every night, the Nets looked awful in 2013-14. They lost Lopez after only 17 games. Garnett was a shell of himself. Pierce had a drastic decline. And Williams’ ankle seemed to be held together by duct tape. The best highlight from the season might as well be Jason Kidd spilling his drink on the floor to get another timeout. All joking aside, the Nets lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals to none other than the Miami Heat.

Nov 13, 2015; Sacramento, CA, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (24) fouls Sacramento Kings forward DeMarcus Cousins (15) on a drive against Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) during the third quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Sacramento Kings defeated the Brooklyn Nets 111-109. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Current Rebuild

Everything here leads the Nets to where they are today. The team has completely cleaned house since 2014 and are heading a different direction with new GM Sean Marks. The only player that has not been moved is Brook Lopez. Brooklyn is trying to right the ship now with a rebuild in a more traditional way. Marks is trying to get back to the way the Nets used to build their teams. He may even take some inspiration from his former team, the San Antonio Spurs. Marks has this team going in a different direction than in the past.

He knows it will be hard to attract free agents to Brooklyn. Instead, he is signing young talent and trying to find a gem late in upcoming drafts. This year, he traded their second best player in Thaddeus Young for the 20th pick in the draft. That pick turned out to be Caris LeVert. With guys like Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, LeVert, Isaiah Whitehead, and Chris McCullough on the team, it is clear the Nets are going younger.

If this is the Nets’ current direction, how does Lopez fit into the equation? Will Marks just stand pat with the current roster? Will he make a move this season to bring in another star player to put alongside Lopez? Or will he trade Lopez for a draft pick and try his luck at drafting a future All-Star? It is uncertain, but the state of the team is officially in rebuild mode. Time will only tell if the Nets truly go in a different direction as opposed to past rebuilds.

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