Getty Golden State Warriors guard-forward Gary Payton II signs autographs after a game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Brooklyn Nets are currently in the thick of a playoff battle with the Boston Celtics and have championship aspirations this season, with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant leading the charge. But the mantra of this team has been that they not only want to be good right now but for years to come. With Irving and Durant as the centerpieces and the acquisition of 25-year-old Ben Simmons to go along with promising rookies such as Cam Thomas and Kessler Edwards, the Nets already have a lot of promise going forward.
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Nets Urged to Steal Gary Payton II From Warriors in Free Agency
With volume scorers such as Durant, Irving, Seth Curry, and Joe Harris already locked in for next season, the Nets have more than enough offensive firepower on their 2023 roster. The area that needs the most addressing on the roster is the defensive end of the ball. Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report suggests that the Nets target Golden State Warriors, rising star and lockdown defender Gary Payton II in this years free agency period.
“Hypothetically, if Gary Payton II and Bruce Brown passed each other in the hallways of the Brooklyn Nets practice facility—the former coming aboard in free agency and the latter departing—it’d be indistinguishable from the Spider-Man pointing meme. They’d recognize each other as former point guards who resurrected their careers by playing like dirty-work big men on teams loaded with star talent,” Hughes writes for “Bleacher Report”.
“Brown shot a career-high 40.4 percent from three this year and outproduced Payton in points, rebounds, and assists per game. Payton is the superior defender and finished second in the league in deflections per 36 minutes.”
Bruce Brown Could Command High Price Tag in Free Agency
Earlier this season, Bruce Brown had essentially fallen out of Steve Nash’s rotation. But following the All-Star break, he has been putting up career-high shooting numbers and has turned into one of the Nets’ better perimeter defenders, which has earned him a spot in Brooklyn’s starting lineup. As a result, Brown could have a lot of suitors willing to pay him top dollar during the free agency period this summer and fall out of the Nets’ price range.
“Because Brown’s statistical profile is likely to command more interest in free agency than Payton’s, the deep-in-the-tax Nets might not want to spend what it takes to keep Brown. They may have to investigate cheaper alternatives,” Hughes continued.
“Payton should also draw significant interest now that teams understand how to use his unusual skills. He’s a hellacious defensive presence. But if his price tag is a little lower than Brown’s, and if Brooklyn doesn’t want to ditch the option of having a guard dive down the lane in the pick-and-roll, he could be a perfect successor.”
On the year, Payton II is averaging 7.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in 71 games for the Warriors this season and could end up being a key asset for the Nets in the event that they lose Brown this offseason.What the outcome of this playoff run will be for the Nets remains to be seen, but it could play a major part in what moves the Nets will ultimately make during the offseason.
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