With the NBA Trade Deadline just two weeks away, talks are ramping up as teams push to make their final moves before the home stretch of the season.
The Nets are likely to be an active dealer, setting up a fun couple of weeks of trade machine mock-ups and rumor reading for their fans.
Here are three needs Brooklyn should look to address ahead of the Feb. 9 deadline.
Strengthen the frontcourt
While past calls for Brooklyn to beef up its frontcourt were pointed at Nic Claxton as the man at fault, the opposite is true this time around. Claxton’s been a Defensive Player of the Year candidate thus far, but he can really use some help.
Backing Claxton up is second-year man Day’Ron Sharpe, with Ben Simmons, TJ Warren and Yuta Watanabe being the viable options at the four. This frontcourt rotation doesn’t look like it’ll hold up come the postseason, with Warren best suited for the three spot, Simmons providing mixed performances and Sharpe and Watanabe effective in limited roles.
We’ve seen many interesting names floated, such as San Antonio’s Jakob Poeltl or Minnesota’s Naz Reid. Both would provide some size and rebounding down low when Claxton’s out of the ball game.
They can also go more of the stretch four route, by nabbing Bojan Bogdanovic or Jae Crowder, two veterans with postseason experience.
Find a home for Seth Curry or Patty Mills
There’s no pressing need to trade either of these two players, but if Brooklyn’s looking to upgrade, it makes sense to build trade packages that start here.
The Nets are a bit redundant in the small scoring guards category between these two, Kyrie Irving and Cam Thomas. On top of that, Curry is set to hit free agency this summer, and as a key return in the James Harden deal, Brooklyn will want some return on value for him.
Mills hasn’t been as effective as advertised but is making enough to throw him in a deal for legitimate help, especially up front where the Nets are lacking. A one-for-one swap with a pick attached could net Brooklyn a Rudy Gay or someone of his ilk to come and contribute.
Probe for an All-Star
Does Joe Harris, Thomas, Sharpe and a couple firsts put Brooklyn in the running for an elite upgrade at the deadline? It’s unclear, especially since we don’t know of any All-Star caliber players openly on the trade market.
One thing’s for certain, though — Brooklyn should look to pursue one if they become available. While they’ve impressively escaped rock bottom to become a top East team once again, the Nets are not yet clear-cut contenders and could use an added weapon.
John Collins is one name Brooklyn’s been linked to in the past. The forward is having a down year, but is normally a 20-10 big that can spread the floor and finish anything lobbed to him.
That’s a quality name worth bringing in if you’re the Nets, assuming they can meet the asking price. If it’s not Collins, they should probe for any big upgrades they can feasibly make, as championship windows close quickly in the NBA.
