ESPN: Nets No. 2 in Future Power Rankings

Reading these a few years ago was, in a word, depressing. The Nets future was ranked dead last. Things change, however.

In ESPN’s occasional future power rankings, defined as a projection of the on-court success expected for each team over the next three years, the Nets rank second, between the Clippers and Warriors.

Bobby Marks and Kevin Pelton think the Nets are top ten in players (sixth); in management (fourth) and market (fourth) as well as 25th in cap flexibility and 16th in draft picks. Even with their limited cap space going forward, Bobby Marks notes “the addition of Durant, Kyrie Irving and Taurean Prince, plus new deals for Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie, has the core group of players under contract through at least 2021-22.”

Moreover, he argues that the Nets are great bargain hunters, citing their “propensity for finding under-the-radar players in free agency (Joe Harris and Dinwiddie) and identifying talent in the late first round (LeVert and Jarrett Allen).”

Who are the three teams with better management, which includes ownership, than the Nets? Marks and Pelton place the Clippers, Warriors and Bucks ahead of Brooklyn. We shall see.

• NBA Future Power Rankings: Outlook for all 30 teams - Kevin Pelton & Bobby Marks - ESPN+