Previous team recaps: DET, WAS, POR, CHA, SAS, TOR, MEM, UTA
At a Glance:
Record: 32-50 (11th, East)
Offensive Rating: 112.4 (23rd)
Defensive Rating: 115.4 (20th)
Net Rating: -2.9 (22nd)
Pace: 97.56 (25th)
Draft Picks: None
Despite being swept out of the playoffs by the 76ers, some optimism surrounded the Brooklyn Nets ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. Mikal Bridges was outstanding after being acquired from the Suns in the Kevin Durant trade, and moving KD and Kyrie Irving (Dallas) allowed Brooklyn to start fresh despite having limited draft capital to work with. Well, things did not go as planned. Ben Simmons continued to struggle to stay healthy, while Bridges’ production took a dip in his first NBA season as a primary scoring option.
And those weren’t the only issues for the Nets, who finished with a 32-50 record. Cameron Johnson missed 24 games due to injury, and many of the team’s supplementary pieces struggled to provide consistent production. Even Nicolas Claxton, a top 25 player in 9-cat formats in 2022-23, took a noticeable step back. Due to the struggles, Jacque Vaughn was relieved of his duties as head coach during the All-Star break, with Kevin Ollie leading the team to an 11-17 record as interim head coach.
While hiring former Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez signals the beginning of a new era in Brooklyn, Sean Marks is still calling the shots as the team’s lead executive. And he won’t have much to work with regarding draft capital, as Brooklyn’s 2024 first (third overall) was sent to Houston as part of the James Harden trade. Add Claxton as an unrestricted free agent, and the Nets could be in for more change this summer. Let’s take a look at Brooklyn’s 2023-24 season through a fantasy lens.
Fantasy Standout: Nicolas Claxton
This wasn’t a great fantasy season for any of the Nets, but Claxton was the best performer of the bunch. In 71 games, the fifth-year center averaged 11.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.1 blocks in 29.8 minutes, shooting 62.9% from the field and 55.1% from the foul line. Claxton’s assist and rebounding averages were career-highs, and this was the second straight season in which he played at least 70 games. The improved durability is a big deal for a young center who played 94 games in his first three seasons.
A top-75 player in 9-cat formats, Claxton’s value was weighed down by the poor free throw percentage. For managers willing to either take that hit or punt free throw percentage in their roster build, he was close to a top-25 player. Claxton may not have reached his Yahoo ADP (54.0) in 8- or 9-cat formats after a high-level 2022-23, but his production didn’t fall off a proverbial cliff, either. This two-season run was a good time for Claxton, as he will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Fantasy Revelation: Cam Thomas
This pick is a bit of a reach, but that’s how things went for the Nets in fantasy basketball this season. If there’s one thing that Thomas can do, it’s score, and he did plenty of that in his third NBA season. Starting 51 of the 66 games he appeared in, the former first-round pick averaged 22.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.7 steals, and 2.2 3-pointers in 31.4 minutes, shooting 44.2% from the field and 85.6% from the foul line. Given Thomas’s limited role in his first two seasons, his Yahoo ADP of 141.5 was unsurprising. He had some impressive scoring runs this season, beginning the campaign with three straight games of at least 30 points and scoring 40 or more on four occasions.
However, the limited production beyond points and 3-pointers conspired to keep Thomas outside the top 100 in 8- and 9-cat formats. The question ahead of 2024-25 is how the hiring of Fernandez will impact Thomas and his role within the rotation. This will be a critical season for the young guard, as the Nets will have to decide whether or not to extend his contract or allow him to test restricted free agency in the summer of 2025. Thomas is one player fantasy managers should watch during the preseason, as he’ll have top-100 potential if given the chance to start full-time.
Fantasy Disappointment: Mikal Bridges
After shining in the games he played after being sent to Brooklyn at the 2023 trade deadline, expectations were high for Bridges entering this season. In hindsight, the Yahoo ADP of 19.5 was way too high, even though he did have a solid 2023-24 campaign. Appearing in all 82 games, Bridges averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 2.7 3-pointers in 34.8 minutes, shooting 43.6% from the field and 81.4% from the foul line. The scoring average wasn’t far off from his 2022-23 number (20.1 between Phoenix and Brooklyn), but Bridges’ efficiency took a hit as the focal point of the Nets’ offense.
The field goal percentage was nearly five points lower than his career number (48.0%), and he was also responsible for a career-high 2.0 turnovers per game (which isn’t an alarming number at all). Bridges’ offensive rating of 112 was the lowest for him since his rookie season, and he also produced a career-worst defensive rating of 118. The former Villanova standout can’t be blamed for all that happened around him this season, and it isn’t like he boosted the ADP himself. Hopefully, the Nets can strengthen the roster around Bridges this summer because that would get him back into top 50 fantasy territory in 2024-25.
Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads
Cameron Johnson: Johnson missed seven of Brooklyn’s first eight games, and injuries kept him from establishing a positive rhythm in his first full season with the franchise. Limited to 58 appearances (47 starts), he averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.3 blocks, and 2.4 3-pointers in 27.6 minutes, shooting 44.6% from the field and 78.9% from the foul line. Johnson failed to reach his Yahoo ADP (70.3) in either 8- or 9-cat formats, finishing the season ranked outside the top 100 in both. The availability is more concerning than the decrease in production, as Johnson has played 60 or more games in a season just twice in his five-year career. Even with the coaching change, fantasy managers using a top-100 pick on him in standard leagues will be few and far between.
Dennis Schroder: Schroder began the 2023-24 season in Toronto, signing a two-year, $25 million deal in July. Starting 33 of the 51 games he appeared in before being traded to the Nets, the veteran point guard averaged 13.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.5 3-pointers in 30.6 minutes. Schroder’s playing time and production increased slightly in Brooklyn, as he made 25 starts (29 appearances) and accounted for 14.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.1 3-pointers in 32.0 minutes. As a Net, Schroder shot 41.2% from three, which was the best run of his career.
Overall, he appeared in 80 games this season, exceeding his Yahoo ADP (135.2) in 8-cat formats. Schroder was a top 150 player in 9-cat, and the question heading into 2024-25 is how he will fit into Fernandez’s rotation. Brooklyn doesn’t have another reliable rotation point guard on its roster. While that certainly can change via free agency, this could be a case in which Schroder heads into his contract year as the starter. The Nets are light on draft capital for the foreseeable future, and Schroder’s expiring deal could be something that helps restock the coffers.
Ben Simmons: After appearing in 42 games during the 2022-23 season, there was hope that Simmons would continue to get healthy and potentially offer more value to the Nets and fantasy managers. Unfortunately, that did not happen. He played in 15 games, averaging 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks in 23.9 minutes, shooting 58.1% from the field and 40.0% from the foul line. Simmons had a Yahoo ADP of 120.8, so this wasn’t a case of fantasy managers being highly invested in his success. However, a pick in that portion of the draft could have been used to “gamble” on a player like Josh Hart or Mike Conley, to name two examples of players with similar ADPs to Simmons.
While those who have played fantasy basketball long enough to remember Simmons when he was at his best, he isn’t worth the gamble anymore. At best, the former first-overall pick is someone you take a late-round flier on. If he plays, great, but we aren’t expecting much. Based on the track record, even that may be too big of a risk. Simmons underwent another back surgery in mid-March, and the expectation is that he’ll be ready for the start of training camp.
Dorian Finney-Smith: After being dealt to the Nets during the 2022-23 season as part of the Kyrie Irving trade, Finney-Smith started 56 of the 68 games he appeared in during his first full campaign with the team. DFS posted averages of 8.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 1.7 3-pointers in 28.4 minutes per game while shooting 42.1% from the field and 71.7% from the foul line. Finney-Smith wasn’t on the radar in most Yahoo drafts, and fantasy managers didn’t miss out on much.
He finished the season ranked outside the top 150 in 8- and 9-cat formats, offering the most value when the Nets were without Cameron Johnson due to injury. Due to a left knee effusion, Finney-Smith sat out Brooklyn’s last four games. While there may be times when DFS is worth streaming due to injuries, he’s unlikely to be a player who needs to be drafted in most leagues this fall.
Lonnie Walker IV: After averaging at least 11.7 points per game in each of the three seasons prior, Walker took a step back in his first season with the Nets. Limited to 58 games off the bench due to injuries, he averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.8 3-pointers in 17.4 minutes. Walker shot 42.3% from the field and 76.3% from the foul line, as he was primarily a points and 3-pointers option when available. He finished the season ranked well outside the top 200 in 8- and 9-cat formats.
While fantasy managers did not try to draft Walker in most Yahoo leagues, it was fair to expect more, given how he had played in the three seasons prior (two with San Antonio and one with the Lakers). He will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and unless Walker lands in a place where he’s guaranteed a marquee bench role, there isn’t much need to have him on most draft boards.
Dennis Smith Jr.: After agreeing to a one-year deal with the Nets last July, Smith slotted into the rotation as a backup point guard. Appearing in 56 games, he averaged 6.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 3-pointers in 18.9 minutes, shooting 43.5% from the field and 74.1% from the field. While Smith had his moments, three extended stints on the sideline due to injury kept him from establishing significant momentum. And when you’re coming off the bench, it isn’t easy to provide consistent fantasy value. Smith wasn’t a player fantasy managers were targeting in drafts before the season, and he finished the year ranked outside the top 200. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and fantasy managers should not expect much to change in 2024-25 regarding his value.
Day’Ron Sharpe: Having played limited minutes in his first two seasons, Sharpe experienced a slight increase in playing time in 2023-24. Appearing in 61 games, he averaged 6.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 15.1 minutes, shooting 57.1% from the field and 61.0% from the foul line. Sharpe averaged career-highs in points, rebounds, and assists, but his status as Nic Claxton’s backup kept him from being a player worth rostering in fantasy leagues.
Sharpe did have a run in which he reached double figures in seven of eight games, beginning with a December 22 loss to the Nuggets. However, he only reached double figures once after the trade deadline. With the late-season emergence of Noah Clowney, Sharpe’s best shot at fantasy relevance in 2024-25 would be if the Nets were to lose Claxton in free agency.
Noah Clowney: Selected with the 21st overall pick in last summer’s draft, Clowney appeared in only seven games before the All-Star break. Once the Nets’ chances of making a run for a play-in spot were no longer realistic, the rookie center played consistent rotation minutes. In the final 13 games of the season, Clowney averaged 8.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.5 steals, 1.2 blocks, and 0.8 3-pointers in 21.8 minutes, shooting 52.7% from the field and 62.5% from the foul line. A double-digit scorer in four of his last six games, Clowney offered some late-season streaming value to fantasy managers whose seasons ran in lockstep with the NBA schedule.
The finish to Clowney’s rookie campaign was encouraging for those who rostered him in dynasty leagues, but his value in 2024-25 will depend on what happens with Claxton in free agency. Clowney only had power forward eligibility in Yahoo leagues this season, and it will be interesting to see if that changes before next season. According to Cleaning the Glass, 42% of his minutes were played at power forward, followed by 30% at small forward and 29% at center. If Clowney can work his way into Jordi Fernandez’s rotation, having that positional versatility would increase his fantasy value.
Dariq Whitehead: Foot injuries marred Whitehead’s lone season at Duke, and he only played in two games for the Nets this season. The 22nd overall pick in last June’s draft, Whitehead underwent season-ending left shin surgery in late January. While he did say in March that the recovery process was “going great,” it’s unknown if Whitehead will be a full go once training camp begins. Managers in redraft leagues may want to leave him alone, while dynasty league managers can be more open about stashing him.
Restricted Free Agents: Trendon Watford, Keon Johnson, Jacob Gilyard
Unrestricted Free Agents: Nicolas Claxton, Lonnie Walker IV, Dennis Smith Jr.
