2019 NBA Draft: Top 3 players for Brooklyn Nets to select with 27th pick

With three picks in the 2019 NBA Draft and several impending free agents, the Brooklyn Nets will likely turn to the draft to fill in a few vacant spots in the rotation. Here are three players they could possibly target with their second selection, the 27th pick.

The 2018-19 season was one of rebirth for the Brooklyn Nets, who climbed out of the gutter and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2015, paving the way for a brighter future for the franchise that could potentially change drastically this summer, with the 2019 NBA Draft and free agency period offering avenues for major roster changes.

A late-season victory cemented the Nets’ return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2014-15 season, placing the young squad in the sixth seed (42-40) with a difficult matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. Although they would go on to lose in five games, it was hard not to leave the series with a strong sense of optimism and anticipation for what was next for a talented young roster that featured a skilled core of D’Angelo Russell, Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie and Jarrett Allen. It was hard not to leave the series excited and anxious for what the summer could have in store for Sean Marks and his organization, as the team owned three picks in the 2019 NBA Draft and absorbitant cap space for a number of star free agents.

Although it’s far too early to hypothesize and guess what potential players will join the Nets in free agency (if any), attention should be placed on the draft, which is almost three weeks away. With three valuable picks — 17, 27, and 31 — the Nets have several chances to add talent that could stand out as either coveted trade assets or immediate additions to a playoff-ready rotation.

Brooklyn has several key players heading into free agency, none of which are guaranteed to return: D’Angelo Russell (RFA), Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (RFA), Ed Davis, DeMarre Carroll, and Jared Dudley, with Shabazz Napier, Theo Pinson, Alan Williams and Treveon Graham all having their fates solely in the hands of the organization (be it in the form of a team-option or non-guaranteed deal). That could potentially be a mass exodus of talent, with the Nets needing to fill in rotation spots whether they sign stars or not.

The Nets currently possess a potent backcourt of D’Angelo Russell (who is likely to return), Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie and Joe Harris, suggesting that there’s no real need to select a guard with any of the three draft picks unless the team plans on stashing said guard overseas for the foreseeable future. Rather, it would be best to find players to line up on the wing and frontcourt, either pure 3’s or combo-forwards with good size and potential as positive defenders (given the so-so defense of the backcourt).

The 27th pick is originally from the Denver Nuggets in a 2018 salary-dumping move that unloaded Darrell Arthur and Kenneth Faried onto the Nets in exchange for Isaiah Whitehead, who was immediately waived. This move saved the Nuggets roughly $19 million, helping them afford their offseason re-signings and subsequently duck the luxury tax for one more year. The Nets eventually went on to trade Arthur and a 2021 second-rounder to Phoenix for fan-favorite Jared Dudley, and waived Faried in January, paving the way for his ultimate signing with the Rockets a few days later. Now, with the 2019 NBA Draft a few weeks away, the only remnant of that trade is the late first-round pick, one that could be used to acquire depth in the frontcourt that could look drastically different in a few months.

It’s a reasonable expectation that the Nets front office will heavily consider selecting a new backup center in June, one with the strength and size necessary to defend against the league’s biggest guys — Jarrett Allen struggled mightily against Joel Embiid in the playoffs, and Ed Davis (who may bolt this summer) proved to be the superior option (and he was often the superior option throughout the regular season, anyway, because of his strength down low).

Objectively, it would be best for the Nets to bring Ed Davis back on an affordable deal due to his presence on the court and in the locker room. He’s heralded as one of the best locker room guys in the league, is a great mentor for the young players, and is by all accounts a joy to be around on a daily basis. He brings immense value from a chemistry and morale standpoints, but his value doesn’t end there. On the court, the 29-year-old Davis proved to be a superior option to Jarrett Allen throughout the season, with his experience, strength, and IQ making tangible differences on both ends of the floor. His impact, quite simply, was elite: his Defensive RPM (real plus-minus) of +4.2 ranked second in the entire NBA, and his Defensive PIPM of +3.2 ranked sixth overall, emphasizing how significant his impact was as a defender through excellent rebounding, post defense, and rim protection.

Preferably, the Nets would bring him back on a low-dollar contract — yet, with essentially have of the NBA’s players heading into free agency this summer and plenty of teams needing to fill out their rosters, it’s likely that someone could offer Davis close to $8-10 million a year (close to the mid-level exception), which would be difficult for the Nets to beat if they’re determined to swing for a star player. Either the Nets won’t have the money to offer him, or they’ll take too long to sign him and he’ll just leave on his own accord. Ultimately, it seems like Davis will be walking, or at the very least, the Nets need to prepare themselves for such a fate anyway.

Thus, one of their draft picks could be used on acquiring a long-term backup behind Jarrett Allen, and it would be best to use one of the later picks on a center instead, due to how valuable wings and forwards are, and how it’d be a better use of draft capital to spend a higher pick on a player archetype that inherently possesses higher value to a team. Basically, it makes sense to look for a career backup with a late pick instead of an early pick, which should be used for starting-caliber guys instead.

For the sake of this piece, we’ll use it to look at three bigs who could reasonably be selected with this pick, as the nets fall within their range of expected outcomes on draft night. With that said, who all could the Nets target with the 27th pick of the 2019 NBA Draft?