A fresh Hall of Fame class has just been unveiled, which means the next wave of candidates is already coming into focus. For the Nets, that picture includes a mix of obvious names, solid cases, and one long shot with a very different résumé.
The newest additions to the Hall include two former Brooklyn assistants who helped shape one of the franchise’s most electric recent stretches. Mike D’Antoni and Amar’e Stoudemire won’t be remembered for long runs in black and white, but both were part of Steve Nash’s staff during the 2020-21 season, when Brooklyn came a toenail away from the Eastern Conference finals, and likely more.
Stoudemire also stayed on for the 2021-22 season. Congrats to the both of them.
Beyond them, there are plenty of former Nets who can at least make a real argument for Springfield. Of the 247 players currently eligible for next summer’s class, 11 former Nets sit inside the top 50 in total win shares, which gives a useful way to sort through the names.
Buck Williams is the strongest case of the bunch. He ranks second in win shares among that eligible group and already has his jersey in the rafters at Barclays Center. Williams played for the Nets from 1981-1989, made three All-Star teams, four All-Defensive teams and one All-NBA team, and won Rookie of the Year in 1981.
LaMarcus Aldridge is next among the former Nets near the top of the list. He spent the final two years of his career in Brooklyn after a decorated run that included seven All-Star selections and five All-NBA nods. He ranks fourth in win shares among the 247 candidates.
Jason Terry comes in 15th in win shares on that list. His Nets stint came late, but his overall resume includes an NBA title and the 2008-09 Sixth Man of the Year award.
The next group is deeper, but still notable. Paul Milsap appeared in just 24 games for Brooklyn in his final NBA season, yet his career includes one All-Defensive selection and four All-NBA teams.
P.J. Brown ranks 26th in win shares and started his NBA career with three seasons in New Jersey before going on to earn three All-Defensive selections and a championship with the 2007-08 Boston Celtics.
Clifford Robinson, who played his final two seasons in New Jersey, is two spots behind Brown. He had already won Sixth Man of the Year, made an All-Star team, and earned two All-Defensive nods before that.
Anthony Mason also fits into this tier. He played his rookie season with the Nets and later built a career that included an All-Star selection, an All-NBA team, an All-Defensive team, and the 1994-95 Sixth Man of the Year award.
Sam Cassell, meanwhile, played one and a half seasons with the franchise before being traded in 1999. After that, he added an All-Star appearance, an All-NBA selection, and three rings.
Richard Jefferson and Joe Johnson sit right in the middle of the discussion as well. Jefferson spent the first seven years of his career with the Nets and ranks 42nd in win shares on this list.
He made an All-Rookie team and later played a valuable role for the 2016 champion Cleveland Cavaliers. Johnson, who was a Net from 2012-2016, has seven All-Star selections and one All-NBA honor.
Blake Griffin rounds out the group of familiar names. He spent two seasons in Brooklyn from 2021-2022 and brings six All-Star selections, five All-NBA nods, and the 2010-11 Rookie of the Year award.
There are also a couple of recently eligible names who wore Brooklyn’s colors but don’t have the same statistical backing. Goran Dragic, widely regarded as one of the greatest Slovenian basketball players of all-time, made one All-Star team and one All-NBA team and won the 2013-14 Most Improved Player of the Year award.
He joined Brooklyn for 16 games to finish the 2021-22 season. Jamal Crawford never made an All-Star or All-NBA team, but his Hall case is built around something rarer: three Sixth Man of the Year awards, tied with Lou Williams for the most ever.
Hall of Fame candidates are often announced in stages beginning in December, with final inductees usually revealed in early April.
And then there’s Kyle Hines, the most intriguing long shot of the group. He works for the Nets as assistant player development coach in Brooklyn and assistant GM in Long Island, but he never played in the NBA.
That does not automatically close the door, because the Hall honors the best to ever play the game, not just league veterans. Hines turns 40 next week and retired in 2024 after 16 seasons in Europe, where he piled up trophies and honors in Italy, Germany, Greece and Russia.
His list is a heavy one: four Euroleague championships, six Russian League (VTB) titles, three Italian League titles, plus championships in Greece and Germany. Individually, he made the Euroleague All-Decade team, the Euroleague 25th Anniversary team, and the Russian League Hall of Fame, and he was named the best defender in Europe three times.
A native of Sicklerville, N.J., outside Camden, where he founded the Team Hines 42 Foundation, Hines played college ball at UNC-Greensboro. In other words, he checks all the boxes.
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