Rockets acquire Suns picks, return Nets picks to Brooklyn

People are talking about Phoenix like they took a leap. Not so sure about that.

I think this year was a "nobody believes in us" year, and next year they'll go back down to their talent level.

 

It looks like we're lined up to have top picks in all the terrible drafts which is cool...

 

The new draft format won't start until 2029.

 

The new draft format, whatever it is, is targeted for 2027 with it expiring in 2029 to force a reevaluation then.

 

• pretty crazy still, everyone wants to be right below the Play IN.
• Light tank - be below average but not bottom, got it.

 

Great now you cna tank and still make the play in. Genius.

 

The Nets were rebuilding. They knew they were not going to compete - the GM actually at one point said they had no desire to be stuck in the middle. They were not going to pass up Bridges under any circumstances. They were liquidating their roster for assets regardless.

They convinced the Rockets to trade BACK their draft pick, and the Rockets did not even really get a premium.

It was an amazing deal for the Nets.

 

The Nets were going to try and play young players regardless, once they knew the type of package they were going to get for Bridges. So, they were not going to sign older players just to sign them --- they were going to be bad regardless. Their GM even talked about avoiding "purgatory".

As for the Pelicans, they won 26 games this season and loss 56 games.... and that was with Zion, Murphy. That isn't a whole lot of "lifting". The Pelicans for all their efforts to win currently have the position of the #7 pick.

Maybe, but their 2025 draft pick was #8.

If they do, it will be with a young player - and they already added MPJ. The reality is that they likely will be pretty bad next year.

I was a vocal critic of the trade when it was made -- and remain so. Having said that, there is a chance that the Suns crash and burn and the Rockets get a high lottery pick, it is hard to know for sure. I will say though, the Nets have to be happy that the Rockets were willing to help them.

 

There really is a good chance the 27, 29 Phoenix picks will be good

 

Thanks. I misread.

 

I don't think it was a "nobody believes in us" year...it was mostly an increase in a lot of other teams tanking like no other that allowed the Suns to have a decent record.

 

The Nets didn't need to sign vets to improve their record, they could have played MPJ more instead of sitting him. They had a 27% win rate with him, 20% without him. They were especially motivated to tank towards the end of the season, losing 25 out of their last 30 games. New Orleans had a dismal final record, but they were playing Murphy and Zion at the end of the season. If they were able to tank I bet they'd be sitting much earlier. Had the Rockets held onto the 2026 Brooklyn there is no guarantee they would have the current lotto odds.

People are crying because Brooklyn has the 3rd worst record in the league, but they know that is likely not the record they would have had we retained the pick. The outrage is disingenuous. And Brooklyn paid assets to control their pick again, it wasn't free.

 

This was Darryl Morey’s jam for a very long time…

 

The assumption in my post is they already traded Mikal Bridges. Look at their capspace in the link I showed you.

NAW cant replace Bridges? Why does that matter? Bridges is gone this year. The Nets in super tank mode still won 20 games and is just the 3rd worst in the league. If they were trying to win they can easily improve that mark.

A combination of NAW/Schroder/Grimes will def make them a play in team in the East. Schroder alone made them a 0.400 win team last year thats why they traded him. Nets 21-31 record just with Schroder. Add Naw and Grimes to that yeah that would def be a massive improvement. Not to mention those 5 draft picks they had that add nothing to their wins this year, they would use those for better players. Its delusional to think Nets wouldnt improve if they didnt have their pick. When they had Bridges they were 9th worst and they still had Ben Simmons salary. Add a max contract salary to that team and yes Nets wouldnt be giving us a lotto pick.

As for your bolded part I have no clue what you are talking about. The trade is clearly 1 pick and 1 swap for 2 picks and 2 swaps. A swap doesnt mean you are sending out a pick too lol its an option to exchange picks. For example 2 years ago we exchanged our FRP for Nets FRP(to get Reed). Its an asset and we doubled our asset base with the trade.

https://www.nba.com/nets/news/brooklyn-nets-complete-trade-with-houston-rockets-2024

As for the KD trade I would assume Stone offered our own picks for KD and the Suns refused. Our picks are gonna be in the low 20s and a 10th pick is more valuable than several 20+ frps. If we didnt do the Nets trade we would have to give up the Nets swap which was the 9th pick leaving us with just the 2026 Nets pick when they arent tanking as our lone asset.

 

It's the 27 nets pick that I hope is good if they suck and fail to get top 3 this year.

 

The Nets had the #8 pick last year.

Porter played most of the year and he was injured.

Also - a 27% winning percentage (instead of 20%… even though Porter was missing time regardless)…. Puts the Nets around 6th in this draft…. In a loaded draft, in the last season of the old lottery rules.

The Nets did not pay enough.

There is nothing disingenuous about it.

Also the Pelicans that you brought up, that had nothing to tank for? They finished 1-11 in their last 12 games.

The Nets were very bad and were going to be very bad either way. Be that 3rd worst or 5th or 6th.

 

Potatohead Stone gets lucky for once

 

I think with some luck we might finally get our franchise player in 2027 even though this draft is considered weak... there will be at least one player or two who will rise above everything and be elite.