Brooklyn Nets Should Trade For Josh McRoberts

The Miami Heat may be looking to trade Josh McRoberts for salary cap purposes. In order to off-load McRoberts, Miami would need to throw in more value. Is a trade worth considering for the Nets?

The Brooklyn Nets have the salary cap space to take on a player such as Josh McRoberts, and depending upon whether the Miami Heat sweeten the deal, it could be worth Brooklyn’s time to consider this.

McRoberts doesn’t hold a ton of value, and he alone wouldn’t take the Nets to another level this season. He can be a serviceable backup, or even start if needed, but the Nets would likely need more in a trade. For Miami, trading McRoberts would provide needed cap space.

The need to move McRoberts comes from the Heat’s ongoing struggle to re-sign Dwyane Wade. However, trading McRoberts is proving to be easier said than done. Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel reports the Heat may have to include Justise Winslow or a draft pick in order to deal McRoberts.

Winderman also notes the Heat have other potential assets: Josh Richardson, and a 2023 first-round pick.

Heat assets to sweeten a McRoberts deal: A. 2023 first-round pick. B. Justise Winslow. C. Josh Richardson. D. Doubt a 2nd-rounder does it.
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) July 6, 2016

While a first round pick has value, 2023 is quite a ways off. It remains to be seen if the Nets would have interest in that pick in exchange for paying McRoberts’ salary. The biggest asset, of course, is Winslow. However, that seems like a long shot at best.

Winslow, the 10th pick in the 2015 draft, is a main piece of Miami’s core. At just 20 years-old, Winslow is viewed as a large part of Miami’s future. Would Pat Riley actually move such a valuable young player in order to retain Wade for another two or three years? As the saying goes, never say never, but this doesn’t seem likely.

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That leaves Richardson, and some combination of a draft pick. Richardson, 22, was a second-round pick in 2015, out of the University of Tennessee. He played sparingly in his rookie year in Miami, appearing in 52 games, and making two starts. Richardson averaged 21 minutes per game, with 6.6 points and 1.4 assists per game.

Richardson would give the Nets more depth at shooting guard, and could potentially develop into an impact piece in the future. Richardson stayed at Tennessee for all four years of his eligibility, which is certainly rare in this era of the NBA.

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In McRoberts, the Nets would need to fully take on his salary, which is set to be $5,782,450 in the 2016-17 season. McRoberts is also owed $6,021,175 for the 2017-18 season, which is the final year of his four-year, $22 million deal. At this point in time, Brooklyn can absorb that deal, and if Miami entices Sean Marks enough, this could be an opportunity for the Nets to add assets for the future.