After securing Kevin Durant’s commitment to rejoining the team, the Brooklyn Nets can now turn their focus on filling out the roster with more veteran depth for a potential title run.
With only Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe as Nets’ true bigs in their current lineup, they are in the market for a veteran big man.
Free agent stretch big Markieff Morris, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat in the last two seasons, is reportedly interested to come to Brooklyn. Nets Daily reported the interest is mutual.
The 32-year-old Morris is a 34.1-percent career three-point shooter. He can bring toughness and spacing to the Nets frontline that was smothered in the playoffs.
Another option for the Nets is veteran center Tristan Thompson, a former teammate of Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris in Cleveland, according to Hoopshype.
Thompson averaged 6.0 points and 5.1 rebounds while splitting his time with Sacramento, Indiana and Chicago last season. He shares the same agent (Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul) with Ben Simmons.
The Nets currently have 13 players under contract and one two-way player in undrafted rookie Alondes Williams. Each NBA team is allowed to bring 20 players to training camp but can only have a maximum of 15 players in standard contracts and two spots for two-way players.
Durant’s change of heart has dramatically improved the Nets’ title odds next season. From a +1800 underdog during Durant’s trade demands to +700 after the Nets’ superstar decided to run it back. Only the Celtics (+475) and Golden State Warriors (+550) have better title odds than the Nets, per Caesars Sportsbook.
A nucleus of Durant, Irving and a healthy Simmons surrounded by shooters Joe Harris, Seth Curry and Patty Mills, plus the defensive upside of Royce O’Neale, pegs the Nets as one of the favorites to emerge from the East.
The Nets have also added scoring to their bench with the addition of TJ Warren and Edmond Sumner, joining holdovers Cam Thomas and Kessler Edwards.
David Duke, Jr. is expected to compete for the final roster spot or settle for the last two-way contract.
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