Turns out the Brooklyn Nets don’t always get who they want.
After striking a deal that landed them Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry to pair alongside Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams, the Nets were the presumed favorites to land sharp-shooter Kyle Korver. Once anonymous general manager even went as far as telling Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York that Korver to Brooklyn was “in the bag.”
Apparently, it wasn’t.
According to ESPN’s Chris Broussard, the Nets are officially out of the running for Korver. They can only offer him the mini mid-level exception—just a hair over $3 million a year—and that is no longer believed to be enough.
For the Nets, it’s a shame. They were riding high after their coup of sorts at the expense of the Boston Celtics. Sure, they gave up three future first-round draft picks, but that didn’t matter. They re-signed Andray Blatche and were able to retain the rebounding fiend that is Reggie Evans. They now had a team that players would be willing to take pay cuts to play for. Like Korver.
The 32-year-old forward earned a cool $5 million last year with the Atlanta Hawks while connecting on 45.7 percent of his three-point attempts. Brooklyn ranked 17th in the NBA last season, hitting on just 35.7 percent of its deep balls. Korver’s shooting prowess would have added a nice dynamic to their offense.
Accepting a $2 million per year pay cut must have been too steep a price to pay to join a contender. That 45.7 percent clip he shot from downtown was the second highest of his career. Even at 31, he may see an opportunity to cash in.
Or perhaps Korver doesn’t fancy the Nets a legitimate contender, as someone who could rival the Miami Heat. Wouldn’t it be ironic if he joined the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks for a similar amount? That would sure be a slap in the face.
Newcomers Pierce and Terry can still be relied on to knock down treys for the Nets, but not like Korver. He’s one of the most lethal outside threats in the game and his quick release renders him a more dangerous “kick” option on the drive-and-kick than both Pierce and Terry.
Nothing is final yet, obviously. Korver hasn’t agreed to play for another team and, even then, he has to wait until July 10 before he officially signs anything. Maybe the Nets can convince him to take less by then. Maybe they’ll find an adequate Plan B. Worse, maybe they won’t be able to find someone who can hit the three-ball consistently at all.
In today’s NBA, where three-pointers are attempted so readily, the Nets are devoid of an outside assassin. They have players (Pierce, Terry, Deron, etc.) who can knock down shots from long range, but not like Korver. Or even close to Korver. Or even in a way that makes you scared of Brooklyn’s offensive sets, both in transition and the half court.
Not to say the Nets’ newly assembled roster isn’t impressive. Adding Garnett, Pierce and Terry made them better, no matter how old they are. It did not, however, make them a better three-point shooting team, an area they needed to improve upon significantly. Korver would have given them the outside asset they so desperately crave, the shooter they so sorely need.
Things don’t always work out for the best, though. That holds doubly true when you’re expecting players to marginalize their earning potential to play for you. Korver either sees more money and/or a better situation in his sights, so the Nets will have to move on.
Given how thin the market is and how much money the Nets don’t have, that’s easier said than done.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
