3. Jimmy Butler
The last three guys on the list are players Brooklyn could build a team around. The first one is Jimmy Butler. Since he’s joined the league he has been one of its top 20 players. Signing him would give Brooklyn a definite centerpiece to focus on for the future. Along with that, Butler has experience playing alongside other stars, which is a likely scenario if he joins the Nets.
Butler is a very good two-way player, who can take over a game on either end of the court. Butler has averaged over 20 points per game in his eight years in the NBA. He’s a proven scorer who can shoot from anywhere on the floor. At 6-foot-8, he has the ability to play either the small forward or shooting guard position, which gives him and the Nets flexibility.
Speaking of flexibility, Butler is a very capable defender who has the size, speed, and athleticism to guard almost every position on the floor. This would give Brooklyn a defender to help combat the many talented perimeter players the Nets would face almost every game.
While Butler is a definite talent, he falls behind the top two guys on this list for his antics with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He seemed to fit in well with a very talented Philadelphia 76ers team, so it’s possible the Timberwolves incident was a freak thing, but it is something teams have to be wary of.