Brooklyn Nets: 3 New Yorkers who could end up back home in Brooklyn

The Brooklyn Nets aren’t done adding players, as Sean Marks and Steve Nash will constantly be on the lookout for complementary pieces that can help Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden get to a championship in a wide-open Eastern Conference.

Despite their prime position smack dab in the middle of one of the most fertile grounds for basketball talent in the country, the Nets don’t have a single player from any of the five boroughs on their roster, all the while watching locals like Tobias Harris, Obi Toppin, and Taj Gibson get minutes for the 76ers and local rival Knicks.

New Yorkers looking to come back home will surely be interested in playing for the Nets since joining Brooklyn would help them compete for a championship thanks to the contributions of their trio of elite scorers.

If Marks thinks that home cooking could help the Nets get stronger as the postseason approaches, he should try to make a play for these three native New Yorkers via a buyout or trade.

These 3 New York-born players could join the Brooklyn Nets.

3. Maurice Harkless

Harkless could see more playing time in Brooklyn than he gets in Miami.

Harkless, who was born in Queens and starred in the city at St. John’s, has carved out a solid NBA career for himself. The 9-year veteran has averaged 7.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game as a 3-and-D wing, predominately for the Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic. While he’s signed with the defending East champs in the Miami Heat, minutes have been hard to come by.

Harkless is averaging just 1.3 points per game while playing just 10.7 minutes per game. Harkless’ skill set is being wasted on a Heat team that has been ravaged by injuries this season and has hit the skids as of late. A fresh start back at his old stomping grounds could help him thrive on a playoff team.

A stretch forward like Taurean Prince, who went to Cleveland in the Harden trade, is exactly what the Nets need. The lack of height on this roster has stressed Jeff Green and DeAndre Jordan to a breaking point, and a player like Harkless could step right in, fill a very defined role, and immediately contribute.

Harkless might not be the biggest defender, but he can scrap with the best of them and stroke it from beyond the arc. Likely available at a discounted price, he could provide the perimeter defense and sweet shooting Brooklyn is in need of.