In addition to building their roster through free agency and trades, the Nets also have to consider bringing back some of their own guys this summer. This week, NAS takes a look at the team’s current crop of free agents and determines who stays and who goes.
You Got to Go: Ben Uzoh didn’t really have any spectacular games with the Nets this season. He had some flashes that showed he could become a good role player, but if you were to ask anyone about their expectations of Uzoh, they would tell you, “Well, he could be a solid back-up point guard in the future.” Deron Williams, the cornerstone of this franchise, wants impact players. Uzoh is not an impact player. The Nets might not want to give a guaranteed contract to a guy who’d be the third string point guard at best.
I Guess You Could Stay: The only scenario in which I envision Uzoh staying is if the Nets manage to move Jordan Farmar over the offseason in a trade. As we have discussed many times, Farmar is a decent backup but also an expendable commodity with Deron Williams as the starting point guard. If Farmar is indeed moved for a draft pick or a wing player, then the Nets could explore the process of keeping Uzoh.
The Final Verdict: He should go. Even though he was just a rookie, Uzoh was a consummate professional and never did anything specifically that drew the ire of myself or most Net fans. However, NBA players aren’t paid for their professionalism, they are paid for their talent; talent doesn’t ooze from Uzoh. Even if Farmar does get traded, there are probably better options for backup point guard.
The Nets are in a position to sign and trade for core pieces. The backup point guard slot is petty to the organization now, and Uzoh should not be in the discussion to begin with. That said, hopefully the Nets can sign Uzoh to a D-League contract to help him refine his skills in Springfield. He was a great success story during training camp when he made the team out of nowhere, and it would be great to see him develop in a Nets uniform.
