Nets GM: Team wants Lopez, Young back; will 'explore all options' to improve
The Brooklyn Nets could look quite different in 2015-16. Or not. It's hard to tell.
What's clear is that the Nets want to make changes to a flawed and expensive roster that's made the playoffs for three consecutive seasons but been a contender in exactly zero of them.
But while general manager Billy King was clear at his end-of-season media availability on Wednesday that he wants to make changes, he also said two things that seem to run counter to that: The team wants to value continuity moving forward and would like Brook Lopez and Thad Young back.
King says Nets can't continue to have a constant churn on the roster. Need continuity to try and build something moving forward.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) May 6, 2015
The Nets have had plenty of churn over the last three seasons, with only seven players playing more than 110 games and 38 players appearing in at least one. The desire to increase stability and build an identity, culture and chemistry is an understandable one, but it's one the Nets may be a few steps away from.
Lopez and Young are both set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer – each has the option to do so and almost surely will – but the Nets own the Bird rights for each and could bring both back despite the likely luxury tax hit associated with it.
"They both have shown indications they want to be here in their exit interviews and we want them here," King said. "So it's incumbent on us to get that done."
Even if those two are retained, the rest of the team's expensive core remains on the books. Joe Johnson and Deron Williams have proven untradeable, and while Johnson may have suitors in the final year of his contract next season (at $24.9 million), the Nets may need to use the stretch provision to rid themselves of some of the two years and $43.4 million still owed to Williams.
And that's King's dilemma – the players he wants to build with can leave and the players he wants to jettison could be tough to move. It could lead to a tumultuous and active offseason, one King sounds ready for.
"We're going to explore all options, as we have," King said. "Will there be a trade? There could be, but I'm not sure. But we're going to look at every option to get better."
That's standard executive speak at this time of year, but King likely means it more than most. The Nets are locked in to a mediocre core with little flexibility unless their willing to wait for significant cap space in 2016, something they don't sound willing to punt 2015-16 in order to do, especially since they owe next year's first-round pick to the Boston Celtics.