Since I was an embryo—I have always been a Nets fan. From the Jersey days of Jason Kidd leading them to finals to the now Brooklyn Barclay Center liveliness. I have no fear of representing black and white—even if my home state has shown allegiance to the sports culture of Philly and New York.
However, I’m not going to lie and pretend that the Brooklyn Nets have made elite decisions. Throughout the organization’s tenure in the borough—super teams have not been their strong suit.
In 2013, the acquisition of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce—at first promising — became a dud when those two got older and injury ridden. A repeat of this practice occurred in the 2019-2023 big three era of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. That too became a disaster as the stars grew disillusioned with the Nets management—not handling the bright lights and expectations of the New York market.
The Brooklyn Nets made a terrible judgement banking on the super team sweepstakes. Worse—the organization did not utilize their youth talent. Haunting when you find that the picks Nets traded for Garnett and Pierce ended up becoming the elite duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown—faces of the 2023-2024 Celtics Championship.
The Nets don’t have the eliteness of their youth yet but it is promising. Cameron “Killa Cam” Thomas has shown as an offensive juggernaut—his ability to score at will has been paramount to the team’s wins. Nicholas Claxton as a center—is a defensive minded rim protector who has led the team in blocks. Although he does have moments where he enacts boneheaded plays, his intensity is needed. Players such as Trendon Watford and Dariq Whitehead have also shown growing capabilities on both ends of the floor. Jodi Fernandez is an up and coming coach who has that modern yet blue collar style that causes people to immerse in.
—And a superstar such as Giannis Antetokounmpo breathes that mentality. The two-time most valuable player and defensive titan has recently been bounced out of the playoffs. There are rumblings of him leaving—a statement even mentions that he wants to stay in the Eastern Conference. A good sign for teams who want to take advantage of the Celtics rebuilding for next year.
The Nets acquiring Giannis would be a plus. The Milwaukee Bucks might be able to receive assets and draft picks if a deal can take place. This could solve Giannis’s issues—as having a team filled with capable youth can fulfill and lessen the load for him to carry. Make no mistake they are still veterans but have more spark to them then Bucks could provide.
The Brooklyn Nets acquiring Giannis would be groundbreaking to say the least. It’ll put the spotlight on the renewed battle of New York between the Knicks. The borough of Brooklyn would even back an uplifting warrior of his caliber. In Addition, with the way the league is heading—a balanced team is better than shelling out a super team.
