Subtracting Deron Williams, who was waived after he agreed to a buyout of the final two years of his contract, paying him roughly $27.5MM of the $43.5MM he was owed, allows the Nets to be under the luxury tax for the first time since moving to Brooklyn in 2012, but without Williams, the Nets enter the season with one of the league’s weaker point guard rotations, the New York Post’s Tim Bontemps writes on Facebook. That’s one reason why the Nets will likely fall short of making the playoffs, Bontemps adds.
Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
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Knicks first-round draft pick Kristaps Porzingis was the team’s best addition this summer, writes Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders, because size and shooting ability of Porzingis gives the rookie superstar potential. Kevin Seraphin, who signed a one-year deal with the Knicks, was also a good addition, Beer adds, because Seraphin should be able to provide the team with some much-needed rim-protection.
- Sixers GM Sam Hinkie‘s unconventional approach should allow the team to land multiple cornerstones and become one of the better up-and-coming teams in the league after this season, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders opines in a season preview of the team. As Kennedy notes, Hinkie has been able to stockpile several draft picks and young assets by being willing to take on bad contracts and help teams free up cap space.
The Nets are weak at point guard, but it’s worth it to get out from under that contract. A common mistake that teams make is waiting too long to start rebuilding. If the Nets have to suffer through a lottery season, they can grab a young point guard in the draft and be better off in the long run.
The nets pick goes to the celtics this year
Yep! Long year for Brooklyn.
Sixers have four first round picks, plus the Nuggets second round pick (31-35). Don’t let them get Ben Simmons with the #1. Ben Simmons, Dario Saric, Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor is a problem, even if Embiid sits often like Brook Lopez. With the other first round picks, they could get Jamal Murray, Isaiah Briscoe, Melo Trimble….