Kenny Atkinson (Photo : Getty Images)
The Brooklyn Nets may find themselves in pole position to land one of the few gems in this year's free agency class after signing Kenny Atkinson as the team's head coach.
Atkinson, currently assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks, will be the Nets' coach next season after agreeing to a multi-year contract with Brooklyn.
The former player development coach in Houston and New York would have a chance to help the Nets in bolstering their lineup in the offseason, and his ties with players like Jeremy Lin and Al Horford could be a factor for Brooklyn to snag some of the top free agents in the market.
According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, Atkinson could help the Nets in recruiting Horford, whom he coached in the Dominican Republic National Team, considering their good coach-player relationship in Atlanta. But Lewis suggested that other players like Lin could also be in the Nets' radar this summer, with Atkinson's well-known reputation for player development could be appealing to free agents.
"Atkinson also mentored Horford as the head coach of the Dominican Republic National Team and could well try to recruit him to Brooklyn this summer as a free agent. But Atkinson's reputation for player development is well known and could appeal to others as well," Lewis noted.
Horford is set to hit the market this summer as an unrestricted free agent, while Lin, who still has one year remaining in his two-year $4.3 million contract with the Charlotte Hornets, could opt out of his player option, thanks to the NBA's new TV deal.
It would become an instant boost for the Nets if they could sign Horford or/and Lin this summer and could put them in reloading rather than rebuilding their roster.
Horford could give the Nets a frontcourt weapon, alongside Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young. The 29-year-old big man could maneuver at the four position, where he is comfortable playing and would certainly provide inside scoring for Brooklyn.
Lin, on the other hand, could be the Nets top option at the point guard position if Brooklyn fail with their bid to lure Memphis Grizzlies PG Mike Conley this summer.
Lin has proven at times this season that he could run his own team after averaging 11.7 points and 3.0 assists per game, while shooting 41.2 percent from the field. Playing for the Nets would see Lin back in the Big Apple, where he orchestrated Linsanity with the New York Knicks.
There is a great chance Horford and Lin would get more lucrative offers this summer, and there is also an encouraging sign that the Nets have the capacity to offer both players lucrative deal. According to SB Nation, citing the analysis of Basketball Insiders' Eric Pincus, the Nets are projected to get $41 million in salary cap-space if their Andrea Bargnani, Wayne Ellington, Shane Larkin and Thomas Robinson would opt out.
"The Nets would have enough for one max deal, as well as another $10 million to $20 million for other contracts. As Pincus notes, max contracts project to start at $21.1 million for players with up to six years of experience, $25.3 million for those with seven to nine years, and $29.5 million for those with 10 or more years," the report disclosed.
It remains to be seen whether Horford and Lin actually have the interest to play under Atkinson in Brooklyn. But it would be intriguing to see Horford and/or Lin playing for the Nets next season.
