Next year’s Brooklyn Nets will look very similar to this year’s team, at least at the top of the roster. Andy Vasquez from The Record quoted forward Thaddeus Young saying that both he and center Brook Lopez will be back.
Thaddeus Young: "I've been told I'll be here, along with Brook." #Nets
— Andy Vasquez (@andy_vasquez) May 16, 2016
It’s not surprising that they’ll be back. It is, however, a slight surprise to see a commitment come this early in the offseason. It would make more sense for Brooklyn to at least spend some time gauging the potential trade market before making such a commitment.
With Lopez and Young as the team’s two best players, the Nets had one of the NBA’s worst records, going 21-61. Lopez is also owed a shade over $21.1 million, while Young is owed slightly under $12.1 million, so clearing their cap numbers would be a sensible move.
Additionally, Lopez and Young remain effective players. Lopez was the Nets leading scorer and second leading rebounder during the season. He averaged 20.6 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per night. Young was second in scoring and first in rebounds, averaging 15.1 points and nine boards a game.
It’s hard to imagine that they wouldn’t have any trade value to potentially contending teams in the offseason.