1988–89 New Jersey Nets season

The 1988–89 New Jersey Nets season was the Nets' 13th season in the National Basketball Association, and also their 13th season in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Nets received the fourth overall pick in the 1988 NBA draft, and selected small forward Chris Morris from the University of Auburn. During the off-season, the Nets acquired Walter Berry from the San Antonio Spurs, and acquired Mike McGee from the Sacramento Kings. Before the start of the regular season, the team acquired Joe Barry Carroll and Lester Conner from the Houston Rockets.

With the addition of Morris, Barry Carroll, McGee and Conner, the Nets played around .500 in winning percentage with a 7–7 start to the regular season, but then posted a six-game losing streak between November and December afterwards, and later on held an 18–29 record at the All-Star break. After 29 games with the team, Berry was released to free agency and signed with the Rockets at mid-season. The Nets struggled posting a 10-game losing streak in March, and lost 20 of their final 23 games of the season, finishing in fifth place in the Atlantic Division with a 26–56 record.

Roy Hinson averaged 16.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, while Morris averaged 14.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, and Barry Carroll provided the team with 14.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. In addition, Buck Williams provided with 13.0 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, while McGee contributed 13.0 points per game and led the Nets with 93 three-point field goals, and second-year guard Dennis Hopson provided with 12.7 points per game. Meanwhile, Conner replaced John Bagley as the Nets' starting point guard during the regular season, as he averaged 10.3 points, 7.4 assists and 2.2 steals per game, while Bagley contributed 7.4 points and 5.8 assists per game, and Keith Lee provided with 4.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas, Morris participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Morris also finished in third place in Rookie of the Year voting, while Williams finished tied in seventh place in Defensive Player of the Year voting. The Nets finished 21st in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 378,397 at the Brendan Byrne Arena during the regular season, which was the fifth-lowest in the league.

Following the season, Williams was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers after eight seasons with the Nets, while McGee was released to free agency, Bagley was traded to the Boston Celtics, and Lee was left unprotected in the 1989 NBA expansion draft, where he was selected by the Orlando Magic expansion team.