Should the Nets Have Added a Bench Rim Protector?

The Brooklyn Nets addressed their frontcourt this offseason by bringing in Julius Randle and signing veteran big man Mo Wagner to a two-year, $18 million deal.

There is a lot to like about what Wagner brings to Brooklyn. He is a skilled offensive big who can score around the basket, space the floor, handle the ball a bit, and make plays from the top of the key. He also brings an energy and personality that the Nets have been missing in recent years.

But his signing does raise a pretty fair question about this roster: Should the Nets have gone after another rim protector?

Brooklyn is entering the season with Day’Ron Sharpe and Wagner as its two true centers. Sharpe is an excellent offensive rebounder and can create extra possessions for the team, but rim protection has never been his biggest strength. Wagner does not really help in that department either.

That stands out even more when you look at what the Nets lost.

Nic Claxton was one of Brooklyn's best defensive players and its primary rim protector before being traded to the Chicago Bulls. Replacing Claxton with Wagner is a pretty significant defensive downgrade in the frontcourt.

There were other options that Brooklyn could have looked at, too.

One recent fan discussion brought up Yves Missi, Jay Huff, Adem Bona, Karlo Matković and Isaiah Stewart as potential alternatives. Missi, Bona and Stewart would have brought more of a defensive and rim-running presence, while Huff and Matković could have offered some shooting to go along with their size.

Huff is especially interesting to me. He would have given the Nets a legitimate rim protector without completely taking away the spacing they seem to value with this roster.

That said, I don't think the Wagner signing was necessarily a mistake.

The Nets seem pretty clearly focused on creating a good offensive environment for their young guards. Randle can handle tough possessions and create for others. Michael Porter Jr. is an elite shooter and off-ball scorer. Sharpe can dominate the offensive glass and create extra possessions. Wagner gives Brooklyn a big who can pass, shoot, drive and operate out of handoffs and delay actions.

That could be really useful for Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Dëmin as they begin their NBA careers.

Brooklyn is going to need to figure out what its young guards can become, and putting experienced players around them who can make the game easier makes sense. Wagner's offensive versatility fits into that plan pretty well.

There is also the Franz Wagner factor.

Franz is one of the most intriguing young players in the NBA, and the Nets have been connected to the possibility of eventually trying to acquire him. Adding his brother obviously does not guarantee that happens, but if Brooklyn really does have interest in Franz, having Mo in the organization certainly can't hurt.

For me, the bigger concern isn't necessarily Wagner himself. It's what the roster looks like behind him and Sharpe.

Danny Wolf is the next biggest option, but he is not a traditional center. He is not going to solve Brooklyn's rim protection problem, either. If the Nets have to rely on Wolf for significant minutes at the five, that creates another defensive question for a team that already has some concerns on that end.

That's why I would have liked to see Brooklyn take a swing on a player like Huff.

At the same time, I understand why the Nets may have passed on some of these options. Missi and Bona are young players on rookie contracts, so acquiring them probably would have required more assets than simply signing a veteran free agent. Teams generally aren't eager to give up promising young bigs for nothing.

And Brooklyn is still in the middle of a rebuild. The Nets have a lot of young players to evaluate, and they don't need to have every hole on the roster filled right now.

There is also something to be said for Wagner's toughness and personality. The Nets have had some pretty quiet teams in recent years, and Wagner is anything but quiet. His energy could be valuable in a locker room that is going to feature a lot of young players.

So while I understand the decision, rim protection is still a pretty obvious weakness.

The Nets don't necessarily need to fix it immediately. They can see what they have in Sharpe, Wagner, Wolf, and the rest of the roster before making another move.

But if Brooklyn wants to take another step toward competing for the Play-In, finding a legitimate rim protector and a third true center should probably be high on the offseason priority list.

Maybe that player comes through a trade. Maybe the Nets find one in free agency next summer. The 2027 draft could also give them another opportunity to add some size.

For now, Brooklyn is betting that Wagner's offensive versatility, toughness, and energy are more valuable than adding another traditional defensive big.

I can understand the logic behind that decision.

I'm just not sure the Nets can get through an entire season with rim protection being such a question mark.