5 free agents Brooklyn Nets must target in the 2021 NBA off-season

The Brooklyn Nets were widely regarded as favorites to bag the Larry O'Brien trophy this season because of the star-studded squad they had assembled.

The acquisition of James Harden in February to form a superteam comprising Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant was a clear indication that the Nets looked to go all-out in their pursuit of the championship.

Multiple veteran stars like Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge also joined the Brooklyn Nets, making them the oddsmakers' overwhelming favorites to win the 2021 NBA Championship. Aldridge unexpectedly retired in April due to health concerns, but the Nets still looked on course to go all the way this year.

They had finished the regular season as the second seed in the Eastern Conference, with a 48-24 record. That was despite the Nets playing their 'big-three' together only eight times together during the course of the regular season due to injuries.

The Brooklyn Nets started the postseason with a scintillating first-round series win over the Boston Celtics, beating them 4-1 to advance to the next round. The Nets boasted a healthy roster and had all their key rotation players available.

Their NBA Playoffs campaign got derailed in the next round, though, as James Harden and Kyrie Irving suffered injuries. As a result, the Brooklyn Nets lost 3-4 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Many believed that had the injury bug not hit them, the Nets had a great chance of making the NBA Finals.

But that did not happen, and despite their best efforts, Steve Nash's men saw their campaign come to an end earlier than they would have expected it to. Nonetheless, they have a full off-season to prepare for the next season as they eye another run at the title.

For that to happen, though, the Brooklyn Nets will have to be a busy team this off-season and make key acquisitions that would help them win the championship. Quite a few of their role players are going to enter free agency this year, so they have huge decisions to make in that regard.

On that note, let's take a look at five players the Brooklyn Nets should look to pursue in the 2021 NBA Free Agency.

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#5 Goran Dragic

Goran Dragic

The Miami Heat have a $19.5 million team option on Goran Dragic this summer. If the Heat decline that option, he will become an unrestricted free agent in the off-season. Various reports suggest that they could also extend that option to use Dragic as a trade block. His salary would be perfect for them to acquire guards they have been pursuing this summer.

One such prospect they are looking at is the Brooklyn Nets' Spencer Dinwiddie. Dinwiddie declined his player option and is now an unrestricted free agent. The Nets are looking to use him in a sign-and-trade deal, which would help them replace Dinwiddie with a quality role player or two.

It will be an intriguing proposition for the Miami Heat and the Brooklyn Nets if they agree on a sign-and-trade for the two players. Dinwiddie is expected to be offered contracts around $15-20 million, while Dragic has a $19.5 million team option.

The two players' salaries being similar, both teams won't have to worry about taking cap hits if they work a deal out. Dragic would be a quality addition to the Nets' roster because of his scoring prowess off the bench. The former Sixth Man of the Year winner averaged 13.4 points and 4.4 assists per game last season.

Just your typical Goran Dragic 1st half 17 Pts | 4 Rebs | 3 Asts | 1 Stl pic.twitter.com/1h7oUyDOWv

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) September 3, 2020

The Brooklyn Nets desperately needed more production from their bench unit in the 2021 NBA playoffs, but their role players failed to deliver. Dragic's experience could come in handy in this regard. He could be an excellent cover in case either Irving or Harden endure injuries and miss key games.

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#4 Bruce Brown

Bruce Brown

The Brooklyn Nets' own free agent Bruce Brown is next on the list. Brown had a decent season for his team last season and was tremendous in providing cover either on the backcourt or the frontcourt.

The Nets need to keep hold of players who are defensively sound, and Brown is definitely one player they should consider re-signing.

Bruce Brown's fundamentals on defense are very sound, especially when closing out on shooters. He's able to stay vertical without fouling. Here's a thread: Murray creates separation with a jab step, but Brown lunges back under control, causing hesitation and forcing a miss. pic.twitter.com/YOwXT3UBr4

— Alec Sturm (@Alec_Sturm) January 13, 2021

The 24-year-old swingman averaged 8.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game off the bench, shooting 55.6% from the floor, last season. He has had multiple 20-point games in the regular season, proving that he has a lot of potential.

Brown himself was motivated to continue with the Brooklyn Nets when asked about free agency post his team's elimination from the playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks. He had said:

“I hope I’m here. I know my contract is up, but I hope I’m staying in Brooklyn. I love playing with these guys. They made me better this year.”

Brown is a restricted free agent, and the Brooklyn Nets could make him a $4.7 million qualifying offer. They also have his bird rights and can match offer sheets from other teams and re-sign him even if they go over the salary cap.

According to rumors, executives believe he will likely be offered around $4-7 million by his potential suitors, which the Nets should not have a problem to match.

#3 JaVale McGee

JaVale McGee (#34) of the Denver Nuggets blocks a shot attempt by Cameron Payne.

JaVale McGee is an under-the-radar option for the Brooklyn Nets in free agency. The center has played for multiple championship-winning teams in the past, including the LA Lakers and the Golden State Warriors, where he teamed up with the Brooklyn Nets' talisman Kevin Durant.

McGee would be a solid option to play at the five for the Nets, thanks to his tremendous quality inside the paint at both ends of the floor. He proved with the LA Lakers that he still has a lot left in the tank and can help championship-caliber teams massively.

McGee did not have an ideal 2020-21 NBA season, though. He started the campaign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he came off the bench for Andre Drummond and Jarrett Allen later on. He was then traded to the Denver Nuggets, where his playing time was even less, as the team had Nikola Jokic, the 2021 NBA MVP, playing as the center.

Nonetheless, McGee is set to be a part of the USA men's Olympics team, which the Nets should be keeping an eye on. He could improve the Nets' rebounding and provide some much-needed rim protection too.

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#2 Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin rejuvenated himself while turning out for the Brooklyn Nets this season. The former LA Clippers star started the season with the Detroit Pistons but was bought out by the Nets.

Griffin, though, was seen as a luxurious addition to the squad. But he eventually turned out to be a starter for the team and a key player after LaMarcus Aldridge decided to retire mid-season.

Blake Griffin averaged ten points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 21.5 minutes per game and came up big at the defensive end, especially during the playoffs. Injury concerns surrounding him were put to bed, as he made dive-first kind of plays, something the Brooklyn Nets will need to build a solid defensive unit.

Griffin joined the Nets in the hope of winning his first NBA title. After his failure to do so this year, it could motivate him to re-sign with the Nets next season, despite the team only being eligible to offer him a minimum contract.

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#1 Nerlens Noel

New York Knicks' Nerlens Noel in action

The Brooklyn Nets are actively looking to add a center to their roster this summer who can help them improve their interior defense. As per recent NBA rumors, Nerlens Noel has emerged as a player they are interested in.

Noel was terrific for the Nets' crosstown rivals New York Knicks last season. He averaged 5.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. Noel isn't a player who can deliver at the offensive end with huge numbers. But he can provide the defensive depth the Nets are looking for, thanks to his rim protection ability.

The Nets can only offer him a full $5.9 million taxpayer mid-level exception, though, which is lower than his current market value. The Knicks, meanwhile, have more cap space available and could look to re-sign the player on a bigger contract.

However, the Brooklyn Nets are better suited to win a championship than the Knicks, which could influence Noel to join forces with the Nets instead of the Knicks.