The Brooklyn Nets enter the 2022-23 NBA season with revenge weighing heavily on their minds after being swept out of last year’s playoffs by the defending Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics. Though making excuses for the Nets may be letting them off the hook, it would be unfair to Brooklyn, not to mention that they were not whole heading into the playoffs last season.
Nets star Ben Simmons did not play because of a back injury. Joe Harris has been out since last November because of an ankle injury. And although he was available in the series, Seth Curry was limited due to a lingering ankle injury.
All three players had surgery this summer to repair their nagging ailments and were expected to be cleared for training camp. Harris and Simmons are cleared and on schedule to start training camp and will be available for the team’s season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans on October 19.
However, the same cannot be said for Curry, who is still not cleared to participate after having ankle surgery this past May. During Nets Media Day on September 26, the sharpshooter did reveal he is close to a return, stating he is “85 to 90 percent,” per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
Seth Curry not fully cleared. He says he’s 85 to 90%. #Nets
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Exec Says Nets Could Trade Curry This Season
What the Nets need more than anything is versatility on their roster. And Curry could be the perfect trade chip to land Brooklyn a player that makes them a more serious threat in a loaded Eastern Conference. One Eastern Conference general manager told Heavy’s Sean Deveney in June that Curry being traded this season is the ‘most likely outcome’ for the Nets.
“It will be interesting to see what they do with Curry because we know how he stretches the floor, but we also know in the playoffs teams are going to go right at him on the defensive end,” the GM said to Deveney.
“A lot of it depends on what happens with Joe Harris and how they think he will progress. They could wait and trade Curry during the season, that is the most likely outcome there.”
No Need for Nets To Keep Curry and Harris
Curry was one of the top shooters in the NBA last season. Per Stat Muse, the Nets guard shot 42.2% from beyond the arc last season, which ranked 6th overall in the NBA. During the playoffs, Curry increased his production even more, shooting a scorching 52.2% from distance.
Curry is a sniper, no doubt about it. But the Nets already have a long-range shooter in Joe Harris to supplement the scoring of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
With Curry and Harris both being volume shooters, there won’t be enough shots for both on the Nets next season. And with Joe Harris entering the third season of a 4-year, $75 million deal and Seth Curry set to become a free agent this summer, it is evident which of the two players would be a better option for the Nets to retain.
One of the themes members of the Nets harped on during Media Day was continued improvement. With that being the goal for this season, major moves could be on the horizon in Nets World.
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