The Brooklyn Nets' rumored offseason plan seems like a pipe dream that is naturally going to end in disaster.
The Brooklyn Nets got a late start on tanking this season, but this is a team that is very much on the precipice of a new rebuild. With plenty of flexibility heading into the offseason, there are many different paths the Nets could take. However, according to recent reporting, there's one very clear primary plan for the team heading into the offseason.
According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, the primary "Plan A" for the Nets heading into the offseason continues to revolve around trying to pry Giannis Antetokounmpo away from the Milwaukee Bucks via trade. If that doesn't come to fruition for the Nets, it could lead toward another year of tanking.
There are no clear signs that Giannis is going to hit the trade block this summer, but as the Bucks continue to struggle as a team, I suppose nothing is completely off the table. Giannis has been on record that he can't envision himself demanding a trade away from Milwaukee, but the Nets continue to hold out hope that it can happen. If it does, Brooklyn does have the trade assets to get a deal done. I suppose that's something they have working in their favor.
The Brooklyn Nets can't rely on a pipe dream
But I still believe it's not very prudent for the Nets to put all their offseason eggs in the Giannis basket. While the argument could be that their not, if this is their "Plan A," it would sure seem like that is the case. On the one hand, it could be difficult to blame the Nets. Who wouldn't want a shot to land Giannis via trade if he were to hit the trade market?
However, I simply don't envision that to be a realistic option for any team, much less Brooklyn, anytime soon. I suppose, in theory, there are many teams' offseason plans that would revolve around trying to pry Giannis away from Milwaukee this summer. Unless the Nets know something the rest of the league doesn't, crafting an offseason plan around trading for Giannis seems like a pipe dream that would be considered a waste of time.
Even if Giannis were to hit the trade market, would the Nets even be considered a preferred landing spot for the All-Star forward? If this pipe dream were to play out and Giannis were to demand a trade, you'd have to imagine that the Bucks would want to do right and allow him to pick a few spots where he'd be open to be traded to.
I'm not sure the Nets would be on that shortlist, which makes this entire plan all the more confusing. Brooklyn can have a pipe dream centered around Giannis, but let's also hope they have a much more realistic offseason plan for this summer, too. If not, this line of thinking could lead toward even more disastrous scenarios for the franchise's future.