5 storylines to track during the Brooklyn Nets’ 2022 offseason

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 23: Kevin Durant #7 and Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets look on in the final seconds of their 109-103 loss against the Boston Celtics during Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center on April 23, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images).

After being eliminated in a devastating fashion, the Brooklyn Nets have plenty to address this offseason before regaining contender status.

Lofty expectations were spun upside down when during a 2021-22 season that never quite felt right for the Nets. With players in and out of the lineup, another star angling for a trade, and astonishing inconsistency on the court, the writing was on the wall all year.

That makes this offseason one of the most important in the Nets’ brief history since moving to Brooklyn. With star players aging and much of its rotation entering free agency, now is the time for the organization’s front office to work through some of the biggest questions facing it for now and years to come.

These five storylines are going to make or break the Brooklyn Nets’ upcoming season with lasting ramifications for years to come.

5 storylines to track during the Brooklyn Nets’ 2022 offseason: 1. Pivotal role players Bruce Brown and Nic Claxton enter free agency

With limited room for flexibility, Brooklyn entered the 2021-22 season with a revamped roster. The team welcomed a few fresh-faced rookies and highly-anticipated free-agent additions to fill out the rotation around three – now two – star players. And in the end, the most pivotal role players proved to be the scrappy pair of athletes who were part of the rotation all along.

Aside from Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the most influential Brooklyn Nets player last season was Bruce Brown – a positionless hustler who embraces every facet of the game with a physical nature coupled with astute instincts. Now an unrestricted free agent, the 25-year-old may draw interest elsewhere for his attractive skill-set that spans the full duration of the court.

Brown shot a career-high 40% from three-point land and came up huge in the first round averaging 14 points per game on tremendous shooting splits (56.8/42.9/80). His relentless pursuit of the basketball and knack for discerning unfolding plays kept Brooklyn from completely having its doors blown off in the playoffs.

His effort from the perimeter was paired like wine and cheese with the constant energy emanating from Nic Claxton down low. A bouncy 6’11 center entering restricted free agency oftentimes outperformed his veteran counterparts who cycled throughout the year. Some team is sure to offer Claxton a nice deal to play significant minutes as a capable, agile defensive big who offers plenty on the glass and while scoring at the rim.

It’s unclear where the Nets’ priorities lie entering this offseason, but unless they have a clear plan for how they might replace these impact players, the team could find itself in even deeper water next year.