The Brooklyn Nets released some devastating news today announcing that All-Star center Brook Lopez had suffered another broken foot and would be out for the remainder of the year. With the East being so bad the Nets can still make a playoff run but it’s doubtful they’ll get very far. Nets’ owner Mikhail Prokhorov put a lot into this season, literally, with a $87.2 million tax bill making the Nets salary the largest in the league at about $186 million. While Prokhorov wants immediate results, the Nets have years to go before they can make any sufficient moves.
The Nets won’t be able to reload the roster until 2016-17 due to their high salaries and untradeable players. Also, their first round picks are limited until 2019. Here is a breakdown of the next five drafts:
2014: Hawks can swap picks and lesser of the two selections will go to the Celtics
2015: Hawks can swap picks
2016: To Celtics fully unprotected
2017: Celtics can swap picks
2018: To Celtics fully unprotected
2019: Nets own pick
2020: Nets own pick.
Basically the Nets have no cap space until 2016 and don’t have their own first-round draft pick until 2019.
