After spending years in the middle of the East, fighting for a first-round playoff spot but rarely anything more, the Brooklyn Nets have officially made a decision about the direction of the franchise moving forward, forgoing the sort of star-hunting efforts that bit them in the behind a few years back in favor of a full-on rebuild.
On paper, the strategy was a bit confusing, as even if they secured an absolute haul for Mikal Bridges from the New York Knicks, they still didn't have control of their draft picks, but a secondary deal with the Houston Rockets returned their swap rights and pick for 2025 and 2026 and thus, allowed Brooklyn to go all-in on being bad with an actual benefit to tanking their record on purpose.
But to really make sure they have the best possible chance at the NBA draft lottery's highest possible odds, they really need to complete the rebuilding process and make an effort to trade away Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson before the NBA trade deadline next year.
Now granted, just because DFS and Johnson are on the team doesn't mean the Nets will be good, as the duo are traditional combo forwards who are relient on the team around them, which isn't projected to be very good, but taking a pair of players who are good for roughly 40 points per game and allowing their minutes to be filled by developmental prospects – and maybe Ben Simmons – will surely lead to less offense potency, all the while allowing Sean Marks to see what he has heading into the future.
Considering the Bridges trade effectively served as the Nets' big swing to kick off their new youth movement, Brooklyn needs to go all-in and really trust the process, at least for the next year or two.
The Nets valued future control in the Mikal Bridges trade
While the Nets clearly shouldn't give away DFS or Johnson for free, as they rightfully should try to secure every asset possible in the pursuit of a return to contention in 2026-27, Marks more or less showed the team's hand during his most recent press conference, explaining the mindset behind the team's big Bridges trade with the Knicks.
“I think when you look at doing the deal we did with the Knicks, that was really only possible by controlling our own destiny a little bit more where we get our picks back from Houston. There's no shortage of people who want to play with Mikal. He's a heck of a talent out there. And we'll miss him,” Sean Marks told reports via NetsDaily.
“I think that sets us up on a very, very clear direction and pathway to continue to build this team with sustainable success, and that's that's the ultimate goal here… There's no shortage of interest in Mikal around the league for the player he is, the person he is, and obviously the contract he's on, but in terms of this particular deal, this was by far the best deal for our organization, at this particular time to do it.”
With their immediate draft picks returned from the Rockets, the Nets have a vested interest in being bad for the next two seasons in the pursuit of acquiring a Cooper Flagg-level contributor. Even if it would be nice to have players like Finney-Smith or Johnson around a young big with painted area gravity, considering the duo are both in their late 20s, shipping them out of town might just be Brooklyn's best business plan for both now and into the immediate future.
The Philadelphia 76ers remain interested in Dorian Finney-Smith
If the Nets really do end up trading Finney-Smith at some point this year, or even this season, one team that remains firmly interested in getting a deal done for the combo forward is the Philadelphia 76ers right down I-95.
Discussing the rumors around the NBA, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype let it be known that the 76ers are still firmly looking for ways to improve their depth heading into the 2023-24 season, with Finney-Smith among their top targets.
“The 76ers have exploratory interest in trading for Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, but nothing is considered imminent there,” Michael Scotto wrote for HoopsHype. “The team's No. 41 overall pick, Adem Bona, is expected to land a standard NBA contract and earn a roster spot with the 76ers. The 76ers will also cast a wide net to fill out its bench and are interested in adding more shooting and guard depth.”
If the Nets do decide to blow up their current roster and go all-in on a youth rebuild, they won't be bereft of options, as the Cleveland Cavaliers also have reported interest in DFS and there are a number of other NBA teams who would likely come out of the woodwork to bid on his services if Marks put him on the trade block.
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