Nets fans have differing opinions on how the team did in the off-season. Bill Simmons does not.
In a hour-long exercise that aired Sunday night, Bill Simmons and his Ringer colleague Ryen Russillo opined on which teams they think have the “bleakest situations” over the next five years. And if you’re a Brooklyn Nets fan — or Sean Marks, best that you cover your ears.
Although the two believe the Toronto Raptors have the bleakest situation going forward, they put the Nets as a close second, with Simmons saying that the Nets are in “No Man’s Land.” And that that wasn’t the worst thing he or Russillo said!
Nets discussion starts at about 9:15 in.
“I continue to think they did really bad. I didn’t like their draft. I don’t think they have a viable kick ass asset. Basically, their best asset is their 2026 pick which they traded to get back,” said Simmons, summing up. “I don’t understand anything they did.”
They reserved their biggest criticism for the Nets-Nuggests trade of Cam Johnson for Michael Porter Jr. and Denver’s unprotected 2032 first, with Simmons calling it “one of the worst trades of the decade.” He believes the Nets could have done better.
“What if they offered Brooklyn, ‘here’s Michael Porter. We’ll give you our 2032 pick just absorb him into the cap space.’ Did they even have to put Cam Johnson into the trade? I think that trade, the more I thought about it that’s one of the worst trades of the decade. You have to attach a pick to get rid of Porter Jr. and I didn’t get anything for Cam Johnson? Nothing?”
Of course by the time the Nets and Nuggets made that deal, Brooklyn had only $34 million in space, having used $17 million to acquire the 22nd pick which became Drake Powell, in the three team deal centered on Kristaps Porzingis. They couldn’t have done both … and the Nets really like Powell.
Simmons added that he thought MPJ who will make $38.3 million this season and $40.8 million in 2026-27, is nothing more than a $15 million to $20 million player who has both back and shoulder issues (although Porter played 22 more games than Johnson last season and 43 more over the past two seasons. The 27-year-old missed only six games out of 164.)
In general, Simmons said he didn’t understand their overall cap management after going into the off-season with the NBA’s most space.
“I don’t know what they did with the cap space where they basically turned all their cap space into Porter and Terance Mann. I thought it was really stupid … and lost Cam Johnson.”
Russillo agreed.
“My guess is they canvassed it. That was the best they could do. Got two unprotected, but I don’t understand how they didn’t get two assets because they did two things that helped other teams.”
Similarly, Simmons doesn’t like the Nets tanking strategy, citing the change in Draft lottery rules as the big impediment to success.
“One of the things that when you throw a season away we just saw this happen with the lottery it doesn’t necessarily guarantee anything because they change these lottery odds. You saw Utah, Washington throw their seasons away and get the fifth and sixth picks.
“So when you hear about Brooklyn, ‘They don’t want to be good next year,’ I don’t know if they realize that doesn’t guarantee jackshit anymore. Cool. You’ll get the fifth pick in the draft. At some point, I’d rather have some combination of young building blocks and I’m going to be bad anyway because there’s so many good teams in the league or as much cap space as you can. They’re in No Man’s Land.”
As for the Nets five picks in last month’s draft, Russillo said that the haul was underwhelming, citing rival executives.
“The problem is they are coming off using five first round draft picks and there were a lot of teams that were like, ‘if you get five first round draft picks in this range, you would’ve never thought you’d come up with those five players’ but who knows. Windhorst was even saying … for Windhorst to share that other GMs were laughing during the night at what the Nets were doing.” (ICYMI, here’s what Russillo was referencing.)
Simmons did say the Nets picks going forward could be “fun” but this season looks rough, added Russillo.
“So you combine all of this together. You pick up a couple of picks here but your starting five is Egor (Demin), it’s Cam (Thomas) if he’s healthy. That’s your backcourt. ZIaire (Williams) who they will have at small forward, MPG at power forward and Claxton.”
As Russillo read off each name, Simmons responded with an “ugh.”
Simmons and Russillo also struggled to find a current asset that has potential to be a star.
“I don’t know if I like one young player on this team. I don’t know if you asked me who my favorite Net, I guess I’d say Nic Claxton,” said Simmons. “Who would you have as the best Nets assets. Who’s the one as your driving home you’re thinking ‘that’s our guy. He’ll be on the side of Barclays some day?’”
On the other hand, Simmons suggested that the Nets trade Claxton calling him “their one tradeable asset.”
“Why not trade Claxton at this point? If you’re this far down the road, why not trade Claxton to the Lakers, whoever. try to pick a couple more assets. I just think using cap space and Cam Johnson to wind up with Porter and one pick is insane.”
Russillo added that Claxton’s value may not be so great.
“Claxton is like a declining contract. He’s still young,” he said. “That was a weird thing. It was kinda like they didn’t want to pay him but didn’t want to lose the asset for nothing and then it’s just all these other guys.
The two thought the Nets’ best assets were their draft picks.
“So they have all their firsts, they have a top 8 (protected) Philly pick,” said Simmons. “They have three Knicks firsts in 2027, 2029 and 2031, But the only bad thing is that they have a swap with Houston ins 2027 where they lose the first.
Russillo added, “They have nine future picks (actually 13 firsts, 18 seconds.)”
It is, of course, all projection. Five years is a long time and a lot of things can intervene as every Nets fan knows. Neither mentioned that the Nets play in the biggest market or that the owner has a record of spending when needed or that the head coach got rave reviews for his rookie year. That said, Simmons is Simmons, a respected veteran of basketball journalism (but also a master of clickbait.). So we wait … till 2030. We asked for the Nets for comment. So far, no response.