In landing James Harden and pairing him with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets declared that 2020-21 — and the next two seasons after that — are championship or bust campaigns in Kings County.
It makes sense, then, that Sean Marks is still looking to acquire more star power to ensure the franchise’s first NBA title:
SOURCE: The Brooklyn Nets are in active discussions with the Cleveland Cavaliers to acquire JaVale McGee. Also have interest in Kevin Love
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) January 25, 2021
It doesn’t make sense — as Bleacher Report’s Greg Schwartz pointed out — to acquire Kevin Love, though:
"While the Nets are just 21st in rebounding (49.1 percent) since trading for Harden, matching salaries for Love means giving up far too much. Love would do nothing to improve Brooklyn’s defense either, one that ranks 24th in the NBA (115.2 rating) since the deal. Love and Irving would be reunited, but the pair were never particularly close while in Cleveland. Love spent most of his time around fellow forwards James Jones, Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson instead. While Love’s name will continue to pop up in talks for contenders that need bigs who can shoot and rebound, it’s unlikely that he gets moved anywhere right now."
The Brooklyn Nets may have one big trade left to make, but dealing for the oft-injured 32-year-old’s hefty salary-cap figure ($31 million this season and next, $28 in 2022-23) is not it.
Instead, the Brooklyn Nets should pursue these targets instead:
4. Dāvis Bertāns
Dāvis Bertāns was one of the most highly sought after targets before last season’s trade deadline by many contenders, and that should be the case again this season with the Wizards failing to gel with the acquisition of Russell Westbrook.
For Brooklyn to acquire Bertāns in 2020-21, it would take the contracts of Joe Harris or DeAndre Jordan to facilitate his $15 million salary. Jordan is unlikely to be moved for anything short of a headline star, given his connection to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
Harris’ numbers have been better early in 2020-21, but Bertāns would provide more lineup parity, with Durant sliding down to the more natural small forward slot. In a hypothetical NBA Finals matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, Durant would be able to shift to guarding LeBron James instead of Anthony Davis. Steve Nash could stick Jordan on the Lakers’ big man while Bertāns could guard Marc Gasol, his height being useful to block passing lanes.
Trading Harris is something most Nets fans wouldn’t want to see, but no one was champing at the bit to see Caris LeVert or Jarrett Allen traded either.
Side note, I’m thankful that LeVert was traded, because it may have saved his life.