With the NBA trade deadline looming, the Nets explore more moves
With the February 6 NBA trade deadline two weeks away, the Brooklyn Nets are one of the most intriguing of the league’s 30 teams as they have attractive players that playoff contenders may be seeking.
The Nets already traded point guard Dennis Schröder to the Golden State Warriors, primarily for draft capital, and forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton to the Los Angeles Lakers for guard D’Angelo Russell to add to their hefty stock of draft picks.
At the top of the list of Brooklyn’s assets is small forward Cam Johnson, who is statistically having the best season of his career. Johnson, who will turn 29 in March, was averaging career-highs of 19.5 points per game while shooting 50% from the field when the Nets played the Phoenix Suns at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn last night. He is in the second year of a four-year, $90 million contract, which is reasonable and tradable, and a bargain given Johnson’s productivity.
Ben Simmons, a three-time NBA All-Star, is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Unfortunately, his lack of availability due primarily to due to recurring back problems has lowered his value on the court but expiring contracts are coveted by teams looking to clear cap space, so the 28-year old Simmons is a chip the Nets may move as they continue to position themselves for the future in the midst of a long-term rebuild. Simmons has only played in 30 of the team’s first 44 games, which is twice the amount he played last season.
Guard Cam Thomas, still the best scorer on the team, averaging 24.7, could be a significant addition to a team looking for scoring off the bench. Like Simmons, the 23-year-old Thomas has had injury issues, as he has played in only 19 of the Nets 44 games as of last night and is sidelined with a left hamstring strain he suffered on January 2.
The Nets tipped off against the Suns losers of nine of their previous 10 games, including the team’s ninth-straight loss to the Knicks on Tuesday at the Barclays, a 99-95 defeat. Brooklyn last defeated the Knicks on January 28, 2023.
They will host the Miami Heat on Saturday, when they will retire the jersey of hall of famer Vince Carter, who played nearly five of his 22 years in the NBA with the Nets. Brooklyn ends their four-game home stand on Monday versus the Sacramento Kings and face the Hornets in Charlotte on Wednesday.
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