Getty Patty Mills and Dante Cunningham try to stop LeBron James.
Although the Brooklyn Nets already boast an All-Star trio of James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant, just like every other team they are seeking to get better. Heading into the 2021-22 NBA season the Nets will be looking to avenge their Game 7 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Nets are as top-heavy as a team as they come, and their main focus heading into free agency will be adding some juice to their bench, in order to alleviate some of the pressure off of their starters. An issue that eventually contributed to their demise in the playoffs.
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Patty Mills on the Radar of Nets, Warriors, & Lakers
According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, both the Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers are in pursuit of San Antonio Spurs free agent guard Patty Mills. In addition according to Anthony V. Slater of The Athletic, the Golden State Warriors also are interested in acquiring the Spurs veteran sharpshooter.
Mills seemingly out of the blue has become a top free-agent target of title contenders. But it should come as no surprise. Mills played a major role in the Spurs 2014 NBA Finals victory over LeBron James and the Miami Heat. Mills, a veteran brings championship experience and will give any team instant offense for their second unit.
The Lakers and the Nets, league sources say, are both in pursuit of San Antonio’s Australian sharpshooter Patty Mills.
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Nets Decide to Part Ways With Jeff Green
For the Nets, them winning the Mills sweepstakes may be even more crucial than they originally thought after they ultimately decided to part ways with their key role player Jeff Green. On the first day of free agency, Green signed a two-year/ $10 million deal with the Denver Nuggets according to ESPN’s Malika Andrews.
Green played a major role for the Nets in 2020 averaging 11.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game for Brooklyn. But the numbers don’t tell the entire story for Green as his energy and athleticism added a spark off of the Nets bench.
Now down at least one key role player, with possibly more to come with the future of Nets free agent guard Spencer Dinwiddie hanging in the balance, the Nets will have to choose from an extremely scarce free agency pool of players who are willing to take the mid-level exception or veteran’s minimum deals.
Free agent forward/center Jeff Green has agreed to a two-year, $10 million deal with the Denver Nuggets, his agent Jason Glushon of @GlushonSM tells ESPN. The deal includes a player option in the second year.
Ex-Net Jarrett Allen Gets Rewarded With Max Contract
Former Nets center Jarrett Allen was one of the key centerpieces in the blockbuster trade that brought Harden to Brooklyn from the Houston Rockets. Allen, a traditional meat and potatoes big man, may not be flashy like Anthony Davis or Joel Embiid but is one of the NBA’s premier big men. He can immediately make an impact with his elite shot-blocking, rebounding, and post play.
At the open of free agency, the Cleveland Cavaliers rewarded Allen with a $100 Million max contract over the next five years per ESPN NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski. Last season he averaged 11.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game for the Nets and Cavaliers.
Restricted free agent C Jarrett Allen has agreed to a five-year, $100 million contract to stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers, his agents Derrick Powell and Jim Tanner tell ESPN.
The Nets, Lakers, and Warriors will all be looking to make a run at the title in 2022. All three teams have elite star power but as it is often the case role players can play a huge role in whether a team wins or loses. Watching these teams scrap it up in free agency is only a sign of things to come once they meet up on the court.
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