Getty Jeff Green guards Dean Wade of the Cleveland Cavaliers as he goes to the basket at Barclays Center on May 16.
Among the several moves Sean Marks and the Brooklyn Nets executed this offseason, was the departure of veteran forward Jeff Green, who played a key role on last year’s team.
The 34-year old signed a two-year, $10-million deal to join up with reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
ESPN’s Malika Andrews was first with reports of his departure from the Borough:
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.
Green, a longtime friend and several time teammate of Kevin Durant’s, averaged 11 points and shot 41% on three-pointers with Brooklyn last season.
The Nets didn’t sign a replacement for him, but they did bring back Blake Griffin and swiss army knife forward Bruce Brown on team-friendly contracts.
Regardless, most anticipate that the loss of Jeff Green will hurt the Brooklyn Nets in the long run next season.
That much is evident after a the move earned a vote for “Worst Move of the Offseason” in ESPN’s latest polling of league executives and scouts.
Brooklyn Not Resigning Green is Widely Unpopular Move
Every year, once the NBA’s offseason excitement and player movement slows to a crawl, ESPN conducts a survey of multiple people around the league.
They ask executives and scouts about everything from big splash moves to predictions for the upcoming season ahead.
NBA Insider Tim Bontemps released the latest of these surveys on Thursday, and the Brooklyn Nets are a name littered throughout the column.
But one spot the team is mentioned isn’t by way of praise, but criticism of the current title favorites for 2021-2022.
When asked about the worst move of this offseason, the Nets not resigning Jeff Green received a vote, tying with the San Antonio Spurs signing Doug McDermott.
As previously mentioned, the 34-year old was a huge contributor in Brooklyn’s run to the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.
Green averaged just 8.2 points over six appearances, but was their most reliable three-point shooters with a 56% average.
Will his departure come back to bite them? That much remains to be determined.
But in the mean time, it’s not all bad news coming out of the Borough this summer.
Patty Mills Signing Voted One of the ‘Best Moves’
Despite being featured in voting for the “Worst Move” of the offseason, the Brooklyn Nets were also mentioned when it came to the question of the “Best Move.”
Sean Marks landing veteran San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills earned one vote for the aforementioned honors in ESPN’s polling around the league.
The 33-year old averaged 10.8 points, 2.4 assists, and 1.7 rebounds per game last season, the 12th of his NBA career.
Mills and the Nets agreed to terms on a two-year deal earlier this month, worth up to $12-million total.
In addition to having won a championship with the Spurs in 2014, the veteran guard’s also played in 90 playoff games over the span of his career.
That kind of experience is a must on this Nets team, given their clear-cut intentions of chasing a title in 2022.
Mills will also help to replace Spencer Dinwiddie, who parted ways with the team after five seasons in Brooklyn, via a sign-and-trade to the Wizards.
Expect the Nets to be one of, if not the, most attractive destinations for buyout candidates in February and early-March.
They’ll be able to recoup from the loss of Jeff Green then, and continue bolstering the roster ahead of playoffs with veterans who’re made free agents.
There are 60 days until the 2021-2022 season tips off. Buckle up Brooklyn Nets fans.
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