Account
Nets Monitoring Free Agents After LaMarcus Aldridge Retirement, Says GM Marks
April 16, 2021
Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks said the team is looking to add another player before the postseason after LaMarcus Aldridge's abrupt retirement, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
Aldridge, 35, announced Thursday that he was stepping away from basketball because of an irregular heartbeat. He played just five games for the Nets after signing with the team at the end of March.
It's unclear whether the team will try to add another big man to make up for the loss of Aldridge or find another guard to join the backcourt rotation.
The free-agent market isn't too enticing at this point in the season, but there are certainly players who can be contributors. The Boston Celtics just brought in forward Jabari Parker on a two-year contract Friday.
J.J Barea, Wilson Chandler, Ian Mahinmi and John Henson are experienced players who could be appealing.
Whomever the Nets add won't be asked to play a starring role. While Aldridge averaged 26 minutes per game for Brooklyn, that can't be expected of a lesser-caliber player. Besides, the Net still have James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, DeAndre Jordan, Blake Griffin, Bruce Brown, Joe Harris, Nicolas Claxton and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.
Exploring the free-agent market is one thing. Trying to find a worthy addition in advance of a playoff run is a different challenge.
The Nets were considered contenders before Aldridge joined them, and that hasn't changed with his retirement. Brooklyn is sitting at the second seed in the Eastern Conference and just one game behind the Philadelphia 76ers for the top spot.
Another player on the roster would help offer some insurance against any late-season injuries or potential foul-trouble situations in the postseason. As Brooklyn gears up for a title run, the franchise wants to make sure it has every resource available to win its first title since its ABA championship in 1976.