What we want to see from the Brooklyn Nets during the trade deadline: a round table

Brooklyn Nets DeMarre Carroll (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images)
Brooklyn Nets DeMarre Carroll (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images)

The trade deadline is fast approaching. We at Nothin’ But Nets discuss what we want the Brooklyn Nets to do during the deadline.

Kunal Kohli

Brooklyn Nets send Timofey Mozgov to the Chicago Bulls for Omer Asik and Justin Holiday

Tyler Zeller is already gone. The Brooklyn Nets just have one more center to get rid of before allowing Jarrett Allen and Jahlil Okafor to run the center. All that stands in their way is Timofey Mozgov. 

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Although he has shown flashes of being able to stretch the floor, Mozgov has not really done anything in Brooklyn. He is not a defensive stopper as his previous tenures might suggest. Nor is he an offensive stalwart as his 2015 Finals appearance might have conveyed.

No, all Mozgov has shown us is that he is definitely not worth $15 million a year. Who would want him? How about a team that could afford to amnesty him and have baggage to get rid of?

The Bulls are selling and want to get rid of Omer Asik’s $10 million a year contract. Swapping Mozgov, who is much better than Asik, for a smaller contract makes sense. Throw in a pretty effective wing in Justin Holiday makes the deal sweeter.

Chicago gets a center who has potential in the pick-and-roll, which makes life easier for Kris Dunn. Brooklyn gets $1 million back in cap and a great addition to their bench in Justin Holiday.

However there is a downside. Justin Holiday muddies up the Nets shooting guard rotation. Between Allen Crabbe, Caris LeVertJoe Harris, D’Angelo Russell, Rashad Vaughn and Nik Stauskas, there are not enough minutes to play them all in their natural positions

Omri Benami

Nets send DeMarre Carroll to Miami for first round pick

DeMarre Carroll has exceed all expectations for the Nets this year. Ironically, enough Sean Marks got a first round pick from Toronto just to take Carroll of their hands. Now he might be able to get another.

The Nets look like they are building something very special with their guard combination and rookie center Jarrett Allen. They also have two key wings that here to stay in Caris LeVert and Allen Crabbe. By shedding Carroll’s salary, they can ensure they have the space to resign Spencer Dinwiddie and possibly Joe Harris or make another move this offseason.

From Miami’s standpoint, with the Cavs struggling like they are, the East is ripe for the picking. Carroll allows the Heat to match up better with Boston’s wings, and is certainly a threat from the perimeter as will. By adding a versatile player who provides a great locker room presence, Erik Spoelstra’s team could make a playoff run.

Liam Gallagher

Nets send Joe Harris to Detroit for Stanley Johnson

Before we get started, I will be the first to admit that I love Joe Harris. He’s gritty, fun to watch, and shoots a ton of threes. However, those exact characteristics have made him attractive to many NBA teams. Even though the Nets reportedly aren’t actively shopping him, it would be hard for Marks to refuse a good deal.

Prior to the Blake Griffin blockbuster trade, the Pistons were actively seeking offers for Stanley Johnson. Despite the fact that the Pistons have now fully committed to making a playoff push, it seems to me that Stanley Johnson is still considered expendable.

Joe Harris would immediately fit in on a Pistons team which just lost two of its best three point shooters. With minutes to go around after the losses of both Avery Bradley and Tobias Harris, Joe Harris would be able to seamlessly slide into a starting or near-starting role.

As for Stanley Johnson, he would be the newest addition to Sean Marks’ collection of misfits. After a promising rookie season, Johnson has since struggled to make an impact, especially on the offensive end. Why, you may ask, would Marks risk taking on a project who has a career three point percentage of just 29.4? The reasoning lies in Johnson’s age: he’s just 21, and has played his entire (short) career for a franchise not known for developing talent.

Even if Johnson doesn’t develop a three point shot, his point-forward abilities and defensive versatility are very similar to another Arizona product: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Perhaps playing with his former college teammate would help to break Johnson out of the funk Detroit has placed him in.

Losing Joe Harris would hurt, but taking in another top ten pick from the 2015 draft would definitely help to soothe the pain.

Zack Collura

Nets send Joe Harris, 2018 2nd-round pick from Milwaukee to the Knicks for Willy Hernangomez

Hernangomez has reportedly requested that the Knicks increase his role with the team or they trade him to a team that will. It’s a bit surprising that Hernangomez has played so infrequently, just 25 games played and 9.4 minutes per game. But with Kyle O’Quinn and Enes Kanter, he’s fallen out of the rotation.

A first-team player on the All-Rookie team in 2017, Hernangomez averaged 8.2 points and seven rebounds in just over 18 minutes per game as a rookie and showed flashes. In April, where he was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month. During the month, he averaged 12.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.

The Knicks will likely have many suitors for Hernangomez’s services, and in Harris, they get a spot-up shooter that could bolster units that lack shooting, with Jarrett Jack, Frank Ntilikina, and even Tim Hardaway shooting under 33 percent from three this season. Harris averages over 10 points per game and, most importantly, shoots over 40% from three.

Next: Several Nets want to stay on the team long term

While the Nets will miss Harris’s shooting, their roster is full of young guards vying for time. After trading for Rashad Vaughn and adding Nik Stauskas, they have a number of players at the same position. Harris will also be a free agent after the season.

After trading Tyler Zeller to the Bucks, the Nets could use an extra big to go along with Jahlil Okafor and Jarrett Allen. Hernangomez’s upside makes throwing in the protected 2nd-round pick they just received from the Bucks a worthwhile investment in the 23 year old’s future.