Nets Would be Wise to Avoid Abundance of Midseason Trades

Brooklyn shouldn't try to shake things up much throughout the season.

Nov 9, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks speaks during a press conference before a game against the New York Knicks at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Brooklyn Nets will be among the worst teams in the league this season, but keeping the roster together could be huge.

In the midst of a rebuild, Sean Marks and the Nets have proven time after time that they are open for business. However, they might be wise to put that method of roster-building on hold for the next few months.

This offseason, Brooklyn’s roster changed more than just about any team in the league. While some key contributors, such as Nic Claxton and Cam Thomas, are back for another year in the black and white, there are an abundance of new faces for Jordi Fernandez to work with.

Perhaps the most notable part of Brooklyn’s new additions was its decision to bring in five players in the first round of the draft. With so many rookies set to make their debuts this season, the Nets will be focusing on development more than they have in years past. 

With Fernandez already juggling the pressure of putting so many key rookies in a position to succeed, any midseason disruptions to the roster could set up those young players for a turbulent first year. While it’s fine if guys like Terance Mann or Haywood Highsmith aren’t a part of the team’s long-term goals, keeping those guys around throughout the season could be the way for Brooklyn to approach their tenures.

Ideally, the Nets’ rookie class will be ready to spread its wings by the trade deadline and allow Brooklyn to make some moves that could land Marks and the front office some extra assets to work with. However, if that opportunity doesn’t present itself, the Nets have to be ready to shift gears and allow some of their veterans to finish out the season.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that any of these additions will be the perfect mentors for the incoming rookie class, but there is reason to believe that having them around would be better for the young players than having no veterans at all. Overall, Brooklyn is in a tricky situation.

On one hand, playing those veterans could lead to Brooklyn overachieving just enough to screw up the lottery odds and take away minutes from those rookies. On the other hand, those veterans could lead by example for the younger players and ensure that the rookies aren’t thrown into the fire too early, and give them a steady start to their careers.

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