The Nets made their move for offense this offseason, but the price of that choice is already easy to spot.
Brooklyn brought in Julius Randle and then added veteran big man Mo Wagner on a two-year, $18 million deal, giving the frontcourt a very different look. Wagner has plenty going for him.
He can score near the rim, stretch the floor, put the ball on the deck a little and facilitate from the top of the key. He also brings a jolt of energy and personality that Brooklyn has been missing in recent years.
Still, the question hangs over the roster: should the Nets have used that spot on a bigger defensive presence instead?
As things stand, Brooklyn’s only true centers are Day’Ron Sharpe and Wagner. Sharpe can clean the offensive glass and manufacture extra chances, but rim protection has never been his calling card. Wagner doesn’t really change that equation.
That matters even more when you look at what the Nets gave up in the process. Nic Claxton was one of Brooklyn’s best defenders and its primary rim protector before he was traded to the Chicago Bulls. Swapping him out for Wagner is a clear step down on the defensive end in the frontcourt.
There were other names Brooklyn could have explored. In one fan discussion, Yves Missi, Jay Huff, Adem Bona, Karlo Matković and Isaiah Stewart came up as possible alternatives.
Missi, Bona and Stewart would have offered more defense and rim-running. Huff and Matković would have brought some shooting along with their size.
Huff, in particular, stands out. He would have given the Nets a real shot blocker without stripping away the spacing they seem to want from this group.
Even so, the Wagner signing doesn’t feel like a mistake. Brooklyn appears focused on building an environment that helps its young guards develop, and the rest of the frontcourt fits that idea.
Randle can shoulder difficult possessions and create for others. Michael Porter Jr. is an elite shooter and off-ball scorer.
Sharpe can attack the offensive boards and create second chances. Wagner can pass, shoot, drive and work out of handoffs and delay actions.
That kind of skill set could matter a lot for Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Dëmin as they start their NBA careers. The Nets need to learn what those guards can become, and surrounding them with veterans who make the game easier is a sensible approach.
There’s also the Franz Wagner angle. Franz is one of the league’s most intriguing young players, and Brooklyn has been linked to the idea of eventually going after him. Adding his brother doesn’t make that happen, but if the Nets really do have interest, bringing Mo into the building can’t hurt.
The bigger issue is what comes after Sharpe and Wagner. Danny Wolf is the next option, but he isn’t a traditional center, and he won’t solve the rim-protection problem either. If Brooklyn leans on Wolf for meaningful minutes at the five, that opens another defensive question for a team that already has some concerns on that side of the ball.
That’s why Huff feels like the type of swing I would have liked to see.
At the same time, there are reasons the Nets may have passed. Missi and Bona are young players on rookie deals, which likely would have required more than a simple veteran signing.
Teams don’t usually give away promising young bigs for free. And Brooklyn is still rebuilding, with plenty of players to evaluate before it worries about plugging every hole immediately.
Wagner’s toughness and personality also matter. The Nets have had some quiet teams lately, and he is not quiet. That kind of edge can help in a locker room full of young players.
So the logic is understandable. The concern is still obvious.
Brooklyn doesn’t have to solve the issue today. It can see what it has in Sharpe, Wagner, Wolf and the rest of the roster before making another move.
But if the Nets want to keep pushing toward the Play-In, finding a legitimate rim protector and a third true center should be near the top of the offseason list. That player could come in a trade, in free agency next summer, or even through the 2027 draft.
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