The Brooklyn Nets have had quite a tumultuous few years. It all started when Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant decided to pair up in Brooklyn, while the Nets eventually acquired James Harden in a trade as well. However, this big three never panned out, leading to Harden being dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers for a package including Ben Simmons. While Simmons has yet to find much success in a Nets uniform, the Irving and Durant era came to an unceremonious end last season after both requested deals at the trade deadline. Both Irving and Durant were obliged, and a full rebuild was once again initiated in Brooklyn. Going into the offseason this year, the Nets should have been looking at NBA free agency as a place to supplement the current fit of the roster. With a roster headlined by young, athletic talent, free agency should have been a place to load up on shooters and cheap veteran contracts that could help space the floor. This is why letting Seth Curry walk and join the Dallas Mavericks in 2023 NBA free agency was one big mistake the Nets made.
The Nets were fairly busy during the 2023 NBA Draft, as they turned three selections into Noah Clowney, Dariq Whitehead, and Jalen Wilson. These young guys will come in and join a core that consists of Mikal Bridges, Nicolas Claxton, Cameron Johnson, Cam Thomas and they hope Ben Simmons. If this group can gel cohesively this season, the rebuild might go faster than many Nets fans originally expected. However, holding onto a guy like Seth Curry would have been huge in helping the rebuild go swimmingly. The Nets were one of the better three-point shooting teams in the NBA last season and figure to retain the long ball as a pivotal aspect of their style of play; without Curry, they will need to rely on less experienced and less proven three-point shooters. Although the rebuild is in full effect, the biggest mistake that the Nets made in 2023 NBA free agency was not resigning Seth Curry.
*Stats via ESPN
Letting Seth Curry Walk
Over the course of his career, Seth Curry is one of the best shooters in basketball. Last year he shot 40.5% from the three-point arc while shooting an incredible 92.7% from the free-throw line. For Curry's standards this was actually a down year, as he is a career 43.5% three-point shooter and saw his minutes dip drastically last season. He would have been a huge asset on the perimeter this season for a Nets team that is molding their rebuild through lanky, athletic players who can impose their will towards the rim. Curry would have been the perfect veteran shooter to have as an outlet, but he is now unfortunately on the Mavs.
Another reason not resigning Curry was a big mistake was the veteran presence he would bring to the locker room in general. The Nets still have their fair share of vets, but Curry would have been the oldest on the roster, and by drafting three rookies, a much younger culture will now be infused into the organization. Guys like Royce O'Neale and Spencer Dinwiddie have been around awhile and will be able to provide some veteran leadership, but it would not have hurt in the slightest to have held on to Curry to provide even more experience for the new rookies. Not to mention, Whitehead is a player that will come in with the potential to become an elite three-point shooter; he would have reveled at the opportunity to learn from an all-time great shooter like Curry.
Overall, there was not much that the Nets could do in NBA free agency, and the NBA offseason in general, to be making that big of a mistake. They have firmly committed to the rebuild and accepting some leaner seasons is a part of that process. Not to mention, letting veterans like Curry leave to go play for teams trying to compete in the more immediate timeframe makes sense as well. However, given the identity that the Nets have, they should have opted to try and discard other veterans and retain Seth Curry on a team friendly contract. For Seth Curry, joining the Mavs is the preferred destination given the Mavs desire to compete this year behind Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. However, the Nets are going to be kicking themselves when Curry starts to fill it up from long range during the 2023-2024 campaign and he isn't on their sidelines; they will know then it was the biggest mistake they made during 2023 NBA free agency.
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