Timing had something to do with the Brooklyn Nets’ decision to trade Mikal Bridges and reset. For a team that didn’t have a realistic short-term pathway to contention, the upcoming season was considered an acceptable one to punt with Cooper Flagg finally eligible for the draft.

While there are negatives that come with joining team starting from scratch, Flagg would receive a beneficial, heavier dose of creation opportunities in Brooklyn. The athleticism and instincts for transition offense, play-finishing, passing and defensive playmaking will translate first at Duke and the pro level, but an improving handle, one-on-one skills and shotmaking game are what’s driven the recent hype to new/rare levels. And with Brooklyn, Flagg would be walking into a high-usage role and the freedom to experiment with self-creation.

That may also make it difficult for Flagg to score with the type of efficiency (as a rookie) he’d reach on a more established roster. Still, Cam Johnson, Cam Thomas and Dennis Schroder would be able to surround him with respectable shooting, while Thomas and Schroder could also generate enough gravity to regularly create quality off-ball scoring chances for Flagg.

For the Nets, they’d have an instant new identity built around the defensive pairing of Flagg and Claxton. Together, their court coverage, switchability and rim protection would cause instant problems and give Brooklyn an exciting defensive ceiling long term.