PHILADELPHIA — If a roster disappoints in one season, it will likely look different the next.
And the Nets were certainly disappointed.
The business of basketball means underperforming teams are overhauled.
But when you go 32-50 like the Nets did — a final record sealed with Sunday’s 107-86 loss to the 76ers — you don’t just get reshuffled.
In the end, there could be entirely new decks, from different coaches to new players.
“I have interviewed Sean.” [Marks] We’re already going from there. That’s out of my control,” interim head coach Kevin Ollie said of the team’s general manager and his own situation. “I love the opportunity to coach this team. What I’ve gotten from the players, my colleagues and the coaching staff has been positive feedback. That’s great. The unknown is great.”
There are a lot of unknowns for the Nets, not just who will coach them — whether it’s O’Ree, Mike Budenholzer, or another outside candidate.
The list will change.
“That’s part of it, you know? We didn’t perform as well as we wanted. And most of the time, teams make changes,” Dorian Finney-Smith said. “This is the NBA. They’re trying to get better. So they’re going to do what’s best for the organization.
“So I don’t think so. [any] In my years in the league, I was on the same team two years in a row. Even if they win, the team will keep moving, so we can only imagine what this summer will be like. ”
They will be busy this summer, as they finished 32-50 this season, their worst record since the 2017-18 season.
Many of the players are free agents or tradeable players, so it remains to be seen how many players will be able to fix that next season.
Nic Claxton wants to return and the Nets plan to keep him, but he is an unrestricted free agent, as are Dennis Smith Jr. and Lonnie Walker IV.
The Nets could make Trendon Watford a restricted free agent by making him a qualifying offer, but it’s unclear whether they will do so.
“I’m just looking for a home… I’m looking for a team that thinks I have value and that I’m an important piece of the team where I can play consistently,” Walker, 24, said. He likened it to his experience last season with the Lakers. , a strong start was interrupted by an injury that limited his playing time until the end.
Meanwhile, Watford arrived as a training camp invite and fought his way into the rotation, even starting at point guard in the last two games when Dennis Schroder was absent.
He averaged 12.9 points and 5.7 boards (though he had more turnovers than assists) over the past 11 games, but has stalled as well.
“We know what the league is going to be like. We don’t even know if we’re going to come back. But we know this team is going to be completely different next year,” Watford said. “When I get the chance, I feel like I played well until the end. Even when I felt like I should have played. [earlier on], I knew the opportunity would come. I hope I left a good impression. But let’s see.
“I can see myself again here. I love the fans, I love New York. It was my first time living in New York, and the weather was difficult, the traffic, everything. But it was amazing. I didn’t really like it the first few weeks, but now I have a whole new perspective on it. It was a great season…Now we step into free agency and see what happens. ”
Finney-Smith agreed. [Smith Jr.]Tee Watt, Klax, Ronnie, they want a contract, and I know when I got paid, we [were] To win. Everyone always looks better when we win. I didn’t do that this year. ”
But there are still plenty of question marks beyond free agency. Finney-Smith himself is one of them.
He and Cam Johnson were the primary forwards. Johnson just completed his first season of a four-year, $94.5 million contract. Finney-Smith will make $14.9 million next season and has a player option for $15.4 million in 2025-26.
With Noah Clowney’s development, the Nets could move Finney-Smith, Johnson, or backup center Dayron Sharpe.
And that’s not even mentioning Ben Simmons, whose $40.3 million expiring contract could be used in a trade for a star player.
