The Nets have improved since the front office made Jacque Vaughn the head coach, though that doesn’t mean the team is going to sit idle when it comes to making other moves as the trade deadline approaches.
The frontcourt is an area where Brooklyn can improve, Bobby Marks of ESPN.com contends in a piece that looks at each Eastern Conference team’s trade prospects. The Nets are hindered by their rebounding, particularly on the defensive end this season and Marks explains how the path for the team to bolster the frontcourt.
To add size, the Nets would likely have to sacrifice shooting (namely Seth Curry or Cam Thomas) off their bench. Curry ($8.5 million) is set to become a free agent and Thomas ($2.1 million) is on a first-round rookie-scale contract with two years remaining after this season. The Nets could also cobble together close to $4 million in salary to send out if Day’Ron Sharpe and Kessler Edwards are involved.
Latest on Joe Harris
Harris has roughly $38 million left on his deal, though Marks believes that Brooklyn is going to have to attach draft compensation to his contract in order to move him.
Harris is making 38.6% of his triples, which is not a horrible mark, though it’s far from what we’ve come to expect from the eight-year pro (career average of 43.5%. He’s played in just 49 games over the past two seasons with 37 of those coming during the current campaign.
Three Possible Trade Targets
- Serge Ibaka and the Bucks have reportedly mutually agreed to seek a trade. While no longer in his prime, Ibaka may be able to contribute to a team off the bench. Ian Begley of SNY.tv has previously linked Ibaka to the Knicks, as New York is eyeing frontcourt depth. While Milwaukee may not want to send Ibaka to a contender in the conference, Brooklyn is worth monitoring given Ibaka’s connection to Kevin Durant dating back to their OKC days.
- Myles Turner could be an option if the club wants to surrender draft picks for a big man. Turner, who is in the final year of his deal with the Pacers, has been the subject of trade rumors for quite some time, though trading for him will likely be costly. Does Harris along with a first-rounder and second-rounder make Indiana think hard about accepting a deal?
- Looking for an even bigger splash of speculation? There have been rumblings about Kristaps Porzingis being a possibility for the Knicks with Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writing that New York would consider a reunion. If the Wizards want a pick-based package, the Knicks are unrivaled in New York but if they want more immediate help with upside to match, look no further than Ben Simmons. Durant’s longstanding fondness of Porzingis aside, it would be tough to see the two sides making this kind of deal, though stranger things have happened at the trade deadline.
