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Trade with Nets handcuffed Knicks from acquiring this superstar

 

Keith Allison | WikiCommons


The Knicks and the Nets are seldom trade partners. When both sides of the East River agree to a deal, it is newsworthy. 

So when Brooklyn's rising playmaker Mikal Bridges was sent in a blockbuster move that brought five future first round picks to the Nets last summer, it raised a lot of eyebrows. 

Leon Rose pushed all his chips to the middle of the table to bring in fellow Villanova product Bridges to play alongside Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart. 

What the Knicks executive didn't think about at the time was that the move precluded him from acquiring a true superstar down the road. Bridges was extended this summer and the future core of the Knicks is intact.


Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Giannis Antentekoumpo was linked the the Knicks with ongoing trade talks taking place over the last couple of months. 



 The harsh reality for the Knicks is they gave away the future draft picks that would have brought the Greek Freak to MSG. New York has yet to win a division title, conference title or NBA title with Brunson, Hart and Bridges leading the way.  


Acquiring Antentekoumpo would have planted the Knicks firmly as the favorites in the Eastern Conference, but without him they'll be in a dog fight with Cleveland, Orlando and Indiana in a quest to capture the East. 

ESPN Preseason Power Index pegs Nets among NBA's worst

NBA.com


 The Brooklyn Nets are in a full rebuild. Taking five first round draft picks was unprecedented by Sean Marks and company.

 So while Terance Mann at the ripe old age of 27 is the oldest player on the roster,  hope for the young nucleus of players developing remains high. 

Sixteen players 25 years or younger, including five rookies spells a developmental year for Brooklyn. 

Expectations from fans are at an all-time low. 

The national pundits are also tabbing the Nets as a bottom feeder team. 

ESPN's Power Index has the Nets among the cellar dwellers. 



For those hopeful the team can draft in the top 3 position in a front-loaded 2026 NBA draft, ESPN's Power Index doubles down on the fact the Nets will struggle to find wins this upcoming season. 

Some fans will be rejoicing at the fact the franchise won't be in NBA purgatory like last year where they're not bad enough to land a top draft pick, but not competitive enough to clinch a playoff berth.

Jordi Fernandez, Marks and his staff will look to evaluate what pieces will be building blocks in the seasons ahead.  But there will likely be some major growing pains in Brooklyn for 2025-26. 



NBA 2K26 takes another stride in the right direction

 

2K26

Originally posted at GauntletofGaming.com

Nothing about 2K26 is ground moving or earth shattering. Perhaps it's more like a few aftershocks or minor tremors for a franchise largely in need of a major shake-up.

In that regard, it delivers. 

With gameplay nuances absent from season's past, 2K26 presents the most realistic and rewarding simulation since its 2K22 installment. 

2K26


Animations are less clunky, buckets are more realistic and in rhythm, while defending the 91'x49' hardwood is as challenging as ever. 

Taking a charge is a thing of yesteryear and finishing through contact is more painstaking than ever. 


2K26

Defending the rim with even the most feared shot blocker is no easy task, and forget closing out at a 3-point sniper starting from the paint. 

2K26


MyGM mode has negligible improvements, while a revamped and a bit more intriguing MYCAREER mode will capture your attention with a compelling storyline. 




2K26 


Tutorials and mini games while fun at first but elementary for returning players playing offline. 

Overall, the 2K26 experience is harkening back to its 2010 decade heyday, but there's still room for improvement as it's not quite at must-have status with this installment. 

Score: 8.2











 

Giannis confirms rumors linking him to Brooklyn, others



 Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Buck.

 For now. 

Speaking with Dario Melendez of WISN 12 News in Milwaukee and other beat reporters, The Greek Freak didn't exactly dismiss all of the juicy rumors that indicated the superstar's interest in playing outside Milwaukee if the organization can't compete for a title. 

The Nets were one of several teams linked to Giannis, with many disregarding the trade rumors as ludicrous. 

Clearly, Giannis is still committed to the Bucks, but if things go sideways for the organization yet again this upcoming year, the trade talks will only intensify at the deadline and really heat up in the summer. 

 

Nets fading into NBA obscurity




Brooklyn is not the center of the NBA universe. In fact, the Nets are an afterthought in their own media market. 

While James Dolan's Knicks making a strong push for another title run, the Nets are simply trying to find their way. 

With a trio of rookies providing potential upside in Noah Traore, Egor Demin, Ben Saraf, the promise for a bright future is far from guaranteed. 

The Nets have a likely deadend leading scorer in Cam Thomas, who is back on the qualifying offer and likely in his last dance scenario in New York. 

Meanwhile, another scoring guard in Michael Porter Jr. is making headlines for controversial and clearly braindead arguments online. 

The Nets don't have a superstar player to boast and they're forcing Thomas out, while propping up Porter Jr. as a franchise savior and potential NBA scoring leader. 

Some may call it wishful thinking. I call it delusional. The Nets are not just watch TV. In fact, they have one nationally televised game all season, and rightfully so. 

Other than the development of their rookies and scoring flashes from two players not part of the team's long-term plans, there's not a heck of a lot to get excited about in Brooklyn this upcoming season. 

Kyrie Irving responds to tweet about COVID era Nets

 



Kyrie Irving didn't exactly leave the Nets on great terms. After demanding a trade and being dealt to Dallas ahead of the 2023 NBA Trade deadline, both Irving and Nets fans can't help but think what could have been in Brooklyn. 



It's amazing to think what the Nets' big three could have achieved had a pandemic not disrupted the world, but alas, we'll never truly know.

Basketball Gods bestow cursed Nets with the No. 8 pick in NBA Draft Lottery



Brooklyn Nets fans rooted for the team to lose games intentionally. Tanking was in vogue. Log on to your favorite social media platform, specifically Twitter/X, and droves of accounts celebrated with each passing Nets loss. 

While general manager Sean Marks executed a trade with the Houston Rockets to reacquire draft picks last year, but he failed to deal several veterans before the start of this season. 

A few veterans were dealt at the deadline including Dorian Finney-Smith and Dennis Schröder, but other veterans in contract years including Keon Johnson, Trendon Watford, Zaire Williams and Cam Thomas elevated their level of play. 

As a result, the flawed plan of intentionally losing games went down the tubes. Add to that a rookie coach in Jordi Fernandez, who won the coaching battle on most nights, and you had a team that was not an a true tanking position. 

The Nets acquired D'Angelo Russell from the Lakers in the Finney Smith trade. Russell, in his second stint with the team, had some bright moments that resulted in wins. 

The Nets had some late season injuries that saw them sputter down the stretch. 

Brooklyn had a puncher's chance at a top three or a top five pick, but drew number eight. 

Lesson learned? There are no guarantees in the NBA draft lottery. 

Tanking, and building through the draft is certainly one strategy, but it is not foolproof. The Washington Wizards are proof of that. 

So as the Nets evaluate the draft field to see who they will select at number eight, they can go in any direction. 

Package the pick for a star player, trade up in the draft to select a prospect they have their eyes on, or potentially trade down. Everything is on the table. 

June 30th's NBA Draft promises to be a very active and perhaps monumental night in the history of the Brooklyn Nets franchise. 



Brooklyn would turn into Freak Show by trading for Giannis



 The message from the the Nets fan base is clear. No more shortcuts. 

 Sean Marks has picked up the pieces from a failed big three era and a discontented Mikal Bridges by turning ugly situations into a cupboard loaded with future first round draft picks. 

Every indication from Marks and the Nets is that they will continue down the pathway of a steady rebuild by developing young assets and keeping future draft picks.

There is one clear exception, however. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Bucks 30-year-old star may be staring at another first round exit in Milwaukee and might possibly ask out this summer. 

The Nets' general manager indicated that he would be opportunistic if there was a player of Giannis's ilk that could single handedly change the trajectory of a franchise. 

While in theory the Greek Freak might be able to be the start of a huge turnaround in Brooklyn, the timeline for the player and the organization just does not align.

The Nets would need to maximize Giannis's prime window as he enters his age 31 season next year. 

Brooklyn does not have the win-now cast that Milwaukee does and that franchise is further than ever from competing truly for a title.

The Nets would need a complete roster haulover that would likely require Marks to send out multiple first round picks and young pieces.

This would be a third time in the Brooklyn Nets era that they would try the quick fix.   Both times and it ended in historically bad fashion. So while the forbidden fruit of Giannis may be dangled out there this off-season, the Nets should stay on the current path and avoid the temptation altogether. 

Nets season comes to merciful end with ugly loss to the Knicks

 


The New York Knicks rested most of their starters but that did not matter on Sunday in Brooklyn. 

Mikal Bridges checked in for a mere six seconds and then exited to the bench to prolong his games, played streak and complete 82 games played this season. 

Trendon Watford and Tyrese Martin had 20 each, but after scoring 66 points in a torrid shooting Pace. In the first half, the Nets offense got stuck in the mud and only scored 39 in the second half. 

A miserable season has drawn to an official close for the Nets and now everyone's attention turns to May 12th NBA draft lottery.  

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