The Brooklyn Nets faced a setback on and off the court, suffering defeats in their first two games following the NBA Cup break. Additionally, the team lost Dennis Schroder in a trade with the Golden State Warriors. The Nets now are placed 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 10-16 record.
The trade came Sunday when the Golden State Warriors needed a replacement for Warriors’ guard De’Anthony Melton after suffering a season-ending ACL injury. This moves Schroder and a second-round draft pick to San Francisco in return for the injured Melton, guard Reece Beekman and three second-round draft picks.
The Memphis Grizzlies Take One Over Brooklyn
The Memphis Grizzlies were able to take a dominant 135-119 win over the Nets after falling to them twice over the course of this season. The Grizzlies were too much for the Nets as the Ja Morant and Desmond Bane duo combined 49 points for the night. The Nets held on close by the end of the first quarter when they trailed by three points, but were never able to catch up to Memphis for the rest of the game. They came close after cutting down a double-digit deficit, but the Grizzlies pushed back with an 18-point run that left Brooklyn in the dust.
.@thejalenwilson assertive! 💪😤 pic.twitter.com/Bch7t4hW9T
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 14, 2024
In his last game in a Nets uniform, Schroder put up 15 points and eight assists, while Dorian Finney-Smith had 19 points, five rebounds, and two steals. Cameron Johnson and Keon Johnson both had 12 points each for the night. Jalen Wilson, Noah Clowney, Day’Ron Sharpe, and Shake Milton put up double-digits off the bench. It was 15 points for Wilson, while Clowney, Sharpe, and Milton each added 12.
First Game Without Schroder Leaves Brooklyn in Shambles Against the Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers put up 130 against the 101 put up by the Nets in a rough defeat and their first game without Dennis Schroder since the trade. Since De’Anthony Melton is injured, the Nets did not get anything in return and were without another guard that can score. While Cam Thomas is still out due to injury, it was up to the rest of the Nets’ squad to try and pick things up. Johnson tried to make things happen with his 22 points and 50% shooting for the night, while Ben Simmons and Finney-Smith each put up 10.
the no-look pass tho 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/Z7wUdE7j57
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 17, 2024
The Nets were no match for a Cavaliers team that outscored them throughout the whole game, leading 37 to 17 by the end of the first quarter. It was a game of catch-up for the Nets, and unfortunately, the Nets did not have enough talent to catch up to the Cavaliers. Evan Mobley had 21 points, and Donovan Mitchell had 18 points. While off the bench, Georges Niang had 17 points and nine rebounds, and Caris LeVert had 19 points and two steals.
What’s Next For The Nets
It’s clear as day that the Nets are in full tank mode. The Nets have 27 draft picks from 2025 to 2031. While the Nets may trade away those picks in the coming months or years, the message to the fanbase is that they are looking to rebuild and that they are in step one of the rebuilding phase. The Nets have six picks alone for the 2025 draft, and it’s likely Ben Simmons will be gone by next season as well.
The Nets will get younger talent in the coming years, and the franchise can hope that some of those picks can become superstars. Letting go of Dennis Schroder was a questionable choice as he was one of Brooklyn’s top scorers, but the Nets are trying to get younger talent and they’re likely not trying to build a future with a 31-year-old point guard in the mix. Nets fans may have to sit through these growing pains as their scouting team can do its best to find their future superstar in next year’s draft.
