The Nets from 2013 to 2016 Part 1
The Brooklyn Nets finished the 2012-13 season with 49 wins and 33 losses and losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Chicago Bulls. While that was a huge improvement over their 22 wins and 44 losses during the lockout shorten 2011-12 NBA season, the Nets’ salary was $83,529,674 more than $25 million dollars over the $58,044,000 salary cap for the 2012-13 season.
The Nets’ inflated cap situation made it impossible for them to sign good free agents and they had no interest in trading high salary players in Joe Johnson ($19,752,645 in the 2012-13 season and $21,466,718 in the 2013-14 season), Deron Williams ($17,177,795 in the 2012-13 season and $18,466,130 in the 2013-14 season), and Brook Lopez ($13,668,750 in the 2012-13 season and $14,693,906 in the 2013-14 season), so they decided to do one of the worst and most one-sided trades in NBA history in a foolish attempt to instantly become championship contenders.
The Brooklyn Nets traded MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, Keith Bogans, Gerald Wallace, Kris Joseph, unprotected 2014 first round pick, unprotected 2016 first round pick, unprotected 2018 first round, and the right to swap picks in 2017 to the Boston Celtics for Jason Terry, D.J. White, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett.
This trade led to the Nets having a salary of $102,928,076 more than $44 million over the $58,679,000 salary cap for the 2013-14 season. All of the Nets out of control spending lead to 44 wins and 38 losses, but they did manage to get past to the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs beating the Toronto Raptors 4-3 before winning only one game against the Miami Heat, in a series where half of the Nets’ losses were by double digits.
Next: The Nets from 2013 to 2016 Conclusion