PHILADELPHIA — When a roster disappoints one season, it’ll look different the next.
And the Nets sure disappointed.
The business of basketball means a team that underachieved gets overhauled.
But go 32-50 like the Nets did — their final record sealed by a 107-86 loss to the 76ers on Sunday — and it won’t just get reshuffled.
It could end up with a whole new deck, from a different coach to new players.
Nets center Nic Claxton wants to return to Brooklyn, but will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. USA TODAY Sports Explore More
“I have had an interview with Sean [Marks] already, and then we just go from there. It’s out of my control,” interim head coach Kevin Ollie said of the team’s general manager and his own situation. “I just love the opportunity to coach this team, it’s been positive feedback what I’ve gotten from players and my peers, the coaching staff. So it’s just a wonderful thing. The unknown is great.”
There’s plenty of unknown for the Nets, not just who’ll coach — be it Ollie, Mike Budenholzer or another outside candidate.
The roster will change.
“It’s part of it, you know? We didn’t perform as well as we thought; and most times, teams make changes,” Dorian Finney-Smith said. “This is the NBA. They’re trying to get better. So they’re going to do what’s best for the organization.
“So I don’t think [any] of my years in the league I had the same team two years in a row. Even if you win, teams still make moves, so I can only imagine how this summer’s gonna be.”
This summer will be hectic because this season was horrible, a 32-50 mark their worst since 2017-18.
With many of the players free agents — or tradeable — it remains to be seen how many will be around to rectify that next season.
Nic Claxton — who wants to return, and whom the Nets plan to keep — is an unrestricted free agent, as are Dennis Smith Jr. and Lonnie Walker IV.
The Nets can make Trendon Watford a restricted free agent by tendering him a qualifying offer, although it’s uncertain if they’ll do so.
“I’m just looking for a home … looking for a team that finds me valuable and an important piece for a team that I can play and consistently play,” said Walker, 24. He likened this to his experience last season with the Lakers, with a hot start interrupted by an injury and then limited playing time to finish.
Watford, on the other hand, arrived as a training camp invite, fought his way into the rotation and even started the last two games at point guard with Dennis Schroder out.
He averaged 12.9 points and 5.7 boards (albeit with more turnovers than assists) the last 11 games, but is in limbo as well.
“I know how the league goes. I don’t even know if I’ll be back. But I know this team will be totally different next year,” Watford said. “I feel like I played well down the stretch when I got an opportunity. Even when I felt like I should’ve been playing [earlier on], I knew my opportunity was going to come. I hope I left a good impression. But we’re gonna see.
“I can see myself here again. I love the fans and I love New York. This was my first time living in New York, with the weather and the traffic and everything; but it was great. The first few weeks I didn’t really like it, but now I’ve got a whole new perspective on it. It was a great season … now we step into free agency and see, see how it goes.”
Ben Simmons, sitting on the bench in early March, has endured an injury-marred tenure with the Nets, and his expiring $40 million per year contract may become an important trade piece. Robert Sabo Finney-Smith acknowledged “Guys like [Smith Jr.], T-Wat, Clax and Lonnie, they’re up for contracts, and I know when I got paid, we [were] winning. Winning always makes everybody look good. We didn’t do that this year.”
But even beyond the free agents there are still plenty of question marks. Finney-Smith is one himself.
He and Cam Johnson have been the primary forwards. Johnson just completed the first season of a four-year, $94.5 million pact. Finney-Smith makes $14.9 million next season and has a $15.4 million player option in 2025-26.
Noah Clowney’s development could tempt the Nets to move Finney-Smith, Johnson or backup center Day’Ron Sharpe.
And that doesn’t even mention Ben Simmons, whose $40.3 million expiring deal could be used in a trade for a star.
