When Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving signed with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019, the question was not if this franchise would win their first NBA title, but how many titles would they win? The last four years in Brooklyn will forever go down as one of the greatest “what if” storylines in NBA history, as everything that could have gone wrong for the Nets went wrong.

They failed to advance past the Eastern Conference Semifinals over the last four seasons, Durant and Irving deal with a handful of ailments through the years, and both stars are no longer with the organization. Durant was traded to the Phoenix Suns and Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks ahead of the trade deadline. A massive, failed experiment, the Nets have now gone back to the drawing boards to try and formulate another plan on how to become a championship contender.

Perhaps this franchise has been going about building their team the wrong way. Sure, you need a solidified star on your roster to win a championship nowadays, but depth has been extremely important to those teams that have hoisted the Larry O'Brien championship trophy into the air over the last handful of seasons.

Despite not having an All-Star on their roster right now, the Nets do have a handful of players on the rise. Believe it or not, they have a lot of flexibility following last season's trades.

Mikal Bridges is now one of the faces of the franchise, as he came to Brooklyn in the deal that sent Durant to Phoenix. A lengthy, versatile, two-way presence on the wing, Bridges was always forced to be nothing more than a secondary role player on the Suns with Devin Booker and Chris Paul running the show. Once he was dealt, the former 10th overall pick immediately showcased his star-like potential.

Playing in 27 games with the Nets, “Brooklyn Bridges” was the epitome of perfect. He averaged 26.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the floor and 37.6 percent from three-point range. Whether it was getting downhill toward the rim or doing damage from the perimeter, Bridges proved that he can be this organization's next star. The fact that he is only 27 years old and under contract through the 2025-26 season with no opt-out clauses is also advantageous to the Nets.

In addition to receiving Bridges in the trade with the Suns, the Nets were also able to acquire 2019 first-round pick Cameron Johnson. Known for his three-point shooting abilities out on the wing, Johnson is a lengthy combo forward who, like Bridges, looked very comfortable upon his arrival in Brooklyn. The 27-year-old was productive and the chemistry he already had with his fellow teammate helped the Nets claim the six-seed in the conference.

Even though they may have lost in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth time in the last five seasons, the 2022-23 season proved to be monumental for this team. Between the young pieces they have on their roster and the options for growth that have presented themselves, the Nets entered this NBA offseason with the intention of building a new core that can sustain success for the next several years.

Offseason additions and departures

Additions: G Lonnie Walker IV (free agency – LAL), G Dennis Smith Jr. (free agency – CHA), F Darius Bazley (free agency – PHX), F/C Noah Clowney (draft), F Dariq Whitehead (draft), F Jalen Wilson (draft)

Departures: G Seth Curry (free agency – DAL), G/F Joe Harris (trade – DET), G Patty Mills (trade), G Edmond Sumner (waived), F Yuta Watanabe (free agency – PHX)

Once they were eliminated from the playoffs, the Nets turned their attention towards Cam Johnson, as he was set to enter free agency as a restricted free agent. With a few teams interested in offering Johnson a contract that would have paid him well over $20 million per season, the Nets quickly came to an agreement with their new forward.

Johnson earned himself a four-year, $108 million contract that contains a handful of incentives, securing his spot as one of the faces of the Nets as they “re-tool” moving forward. His base salary is about $90 million in total with about $4.5 million in likely bonuses. This structure, and the fact that the team will be paying him less money as his contract progresses, is advantageous to the Nets.

Re-signing Johnson, making sure he did not end up in a new uniform, was of the utmost importance to Brooklyn this offseason. Due to the fact that they had to give him such a large contract, not many moves remained for this organization, especially with Ben Simmons set to make $37.8 million. Playing in just 42 games with the team last year due to injuries, Simmons remains a question mark for this franchise heading into the new year.

As for who the Nets were able to snag in free agency, Lonnie Walker IV, Dennis Smith Jr., and Darius Bazley are the new faces that join this roster, all of whom signed one-year deals with the Nets.

Walker is certainly the most notable name to head to Brooklyn, especially given the potential he still has. After seeing his minutes fluctuate with the Los Angeles Lakers last season, Walker stepped up into a big role off the bench for his team in the postseason. In fact, he ended up playing a huge role in the Western Conference Semifinals when Los Angeles was able to defeat the Golden State Warriors, the defending NBA champions.

With the Nets, it will be interesting to see what kind of role Walker holds, especially since he is a ball-dominant player with a score-first type of mentality at the shooting guard position. Nonetheless, he's a spark of energy that can get hot at any time coming into the game off the bench.

Smith was once the ninth overall pick in the NBA Draft, but he's been unable to find a home in the league through the years. Recently playing for the Charlotte Hornets last year, he averaged 8.8 points and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 41.2 percent from the floor. Known for his playmaking and passing abilities, Smith will be utilized as the team's backup point guard as long as he remains healthy.

Brooklyn swapped forwards with Phoenix this offseason, as Bazley came to the Nets and Yuta Watanabe went to the Suns in free agency on minimum deals. Signing a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with the team, Bazley will now compete for a roster spot in training camp.

The Nets' other three additions in the offseason came by way of the NBA Draft. Noah Clowney and Dariq Whitehead were selected 21st and 22nd overall, respectively, as Jalen Wilson was taken 51st overall in the second round of the draft. Wilson has since signed a two-way contract with the team for the upcoming year.

Both first-round rookies present long-term upside for the Nets, but neither is expected to hold that significant of a role early on in the year. Clowney is still just 19 years old and has a lot of work to do on his overall game if he is to make an impact in the NBA against the likes of bigger, stronger frontcourt talents. For Whitehead, his rookie year will be dependent on his health.

The former 5-star recruit dealt with foot issues throughout his freshman year at Duke and he underwent a second foot surgery ahead of the draft in June. He is expected to be available for the start of training camp in a few weeks.

Improving their bench with younger, more dynamic options was obviously the focus for the Nets this offseason, but they did end up losing both Seth Curry and Joe Harris. Two of the better three-point shooters in the league, Curry returned to the Dallas Mavericks in free agency, a team he spent two seasons with prior, and Brooklyn traded Harris to the Detroit Pistons, a move made in order to create salary space to re-sign Johnson.

Cam Thomas ended up having some breakout performances during the 2022-23 season and veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie remains on the roster, which is why the Nets ended up moving on from both Curry and Harris.

Ben Simmons' status heading into 2023-24 season

Ben Simmons, Brooklyn Nets

Of course, everyone wants to know about Ben Simmons and what his immediate future is looking like. As previously mentioned, the former first-overall pick dealt with a variety of injuries and ended up playing in just 42 games for the Nets. These are the only games Simmons has played in with the team since they traded James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2022.

The upcoming season is truly a make-or-break year for the three-time All-Star simply because he's lost the trust and respect of those around the league. Between the physical and mental injuries he has had to deal with and him sitting out when he didn't get his way with the Sixers, Simmons may not be the same star player he once was. Under contract through the 2024-25 season, the 27-year-old has one last chance to prove that he can still play in the NBA.

Training camp is right around the corner and for once, it seems like a clear picture has been painted on what Nets fans should expect from Simmons entering the 2023-24 campaign. Nobody is expecting him to come back and dominate after barely playing the last few years, but this is exactly what Simmons is anticipating.

“For me to come back and dominate people will be great,” he recently told ESPN Andscape's Marc J. Spears. “I don’t intend to come back the same player I was last [season], because that’s not even close to where I am. I get excited because I’m like, ‘Damn, I would [expletive] on the player I was last year,'”

Pertaining to his health, Simmons claimed to be 100 percent ready to go and that he is feeling as good as he could physically.

“I don’t think people realize how bad it was in terms of physically how I was feeling and what I was able to do on the floor,” Simmons continued. “Being able to sit down now and not have to lean or slouch one way, it’s kind of crazy for me. But I feel I’m at 100% now.”

This is certainly one of those “we will believe it when we see it” type of scenarios simply because nobody knows what to expect here. Maybe Simmons will actually come back and be the All-Star talent he once was, but the overall expectations for his return are very low right now.

In terms of his confidence, it is good to see Simmons speaking so highly of himself and confident in his abilities to bounce back during the 2023-24 season. He has dealt with a lot both physically and mentally the last couple of seasons, so getting back out on the court and remaining healthy could go a long way in helping the Nets shape their future.

The addition of an All-Star Simmons next to Bridges and Johnson surely raises some eyebrows in the Eastern Conference.

2023-24 season outlook

Every team enters the new NBA season with playoff aspirations.

The Nets are no different, as they will be looking to improve and increase their win total from the 45 games they won a season ago. Then again, Brooklyn is entering the 2023-24 season as a team that does not necessarily have a clear path forward.

What transpires for them over the course of the next year will absolutely be influenced by what occurs over the first two months of the regular season, as key decisions will need to be made regarding their roster.

Spencer Dinwiddie, Nic Claxton, and Royce O'Neale are all entering the final year of their respective contracts and they will all be unrestricted free agents in 2024. The team did not appear to be interested in talking extensions with either Dinwiddie or O'Neale this offseason, which means they could very well be trade assets for the Nets ahead of February's trade deadline.

It's unlikely the organization will look to move Claxton, especially after finished second in total blocks and blocks per game during his breakout 2022-23 season. Dinwiddie and O'Neal are two experienced veterans, though, each having the ability to impact winning for a playoff-caliber team. Should the Nets not fit this description in the middle of the year, it could make a lot of sense for them to move one or both players in exchange for more future value.

Cam Thomas is another player to keep tabs on. There is no telling as to what his role will look like heading into his third season even though he was one of the most unstoppable players in the league at one point last year.

The stretch Thomas went on in early February was remarkable, as he scored 134 points in a three-game span, recording at least 43 points in each game. His minutes were inconsistent, though, as head coach Jacque Vaughn never really seemed to view him as a consistent part of the team's nightly rotation. Thomas is an electric scorer and if Brooklyn doesn't want to utilize him to his full potential, there is surely another team out there that would.

This upcoming year is all about the potential for the Nets. Bridges and Johnson are the faces of the franchise and the organization is going to want to see them step into leadership roles for the youthful talents on this roster. Claxton is entering a contract year and is going to be looking to have yet another career-high season. Thomas has a chip on his shoulder and there is an opportunity to be had in Brooklyn's second unit.

The Nets have the ability to make it back to the playoffs, yet they still have some growing to do before they can be considered contenders. If Simmons returns and can be the All-Star he knows he's capable of being, then this franchise will be well on the path to success once more.