The Brooklyn Nets might be willing to spend a lot of money when it comes to free agency, but that does not appear to be helping them retain players for the long-term. This offseason has seen a good portion of the roster head off to other teams as the Nets appear to be spending less money than before. With players like Shaun Livingston, Paul Pierce and Andray Blatche gone, what is the roster going to look like come the 2014 season?
Losing Pierce was a blow for Brooklyn. The Nets acquired the forward in a trade with Kevin Garnett last offseason, well aware that he was entering the final year of his contract. Pierce naturally wanted the most money he could get in what was likely his final contract of his career and Brooklyn was not budging on a price negotiation. The end result was the veteran signing a two-year, $11 million deal with the Washington Wizards. He is replacing Trevor Ariza who signed with the Houston Rockets.
Despite the loss of Pierce, Garnett told ESPN the Magazine that he is still excited about Brooklyn's upcoming season. The two players were viewed as a packaged deal as long-time teammates, but Pierce apparently felt differently. Garnett is expected to return to Brooklyn despite having yet to make a formal announcement. He can opt into the final year of his contract worth $12 million. It will be his 20th season in the NBA. EPSNNewYork.com reports that while it is not official, Garnett will return simply because he cannot earn that kind of money anywhere else.
A lot of Brooklyn's season depends on health. Their roster is not young. Deron Williams is coming off yet another ankle surgery. Garnett played the fewest amount of minutes in his career last year. Brook Lopez is coming back after a season-ending foot injury. The team did trade for Jarrett Jack to replace Livingston, but that is about it as far as their moves go. If those three marquee players cannot stay healthy, things will be tough for the Nets.
Brooklyn is not going to over spend on free agents to help with depth, meaning they must get creative on the players they plan on signing. Shawn Marion is available. The veteran could easily sign for cheap. He is getting a lot of attention from the Dallas Mavericks as a bench player. Evan Turner is available. He was a starter for Philadelphia before sitting on the bench struggling with the Indiana Pacers. It is really a question of whether or not these players can be quality starters.
There is still the option of a trade. The Nets have young talent they are developing and they could toss someone in with a deal that could easily include Williams. The chances Williams is traded is slim to absolutely zero, but his name has come up multiple times in reports and this offseason will be no different. When Williams is healthy, he is the best available. The issue is that is rarely the case. If the point guard's health is in serious doubt, the Nets might not hesitate to seek a deal.
