Nets: 3 current trade rumors that aren’t good for Brooklyn

No. 1: Zach LaVine to the Philadelphia 76ers

LaVine could become a star in Philadelphia, which would sting the Nets.

LaVine was given a whole new coach and some more young co-stars, but the Chicago Bulls are once again outside looking in with regard to the playoff picture in the East. This is by no means the fault of LaVine, who is averaging a career-high 27.4 points per game while shooting 51 percent from the field.

LaVine could be on the move if the Bulls have another rebuild on the horizon, and that could stand to benefit the Philadelphia 76ers, who could use another sweet-shooting, hyper-athletic guard to contrast with the styles of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. If this trade gets consummated, Brooklyn should genuinely be nervous about their championship hopes.

Brooklyn’s toughest opponent, in terms of both winning the division and contending for a championship out of the East, is Philadelphia, as their size and shooting perfectly exploit Brooklyn’s weak spots. With a limited number of great defenders on this team, adding one more All-Star scorer to the mix could be too much for the Nets to overcome.

The Nets can feel confident in their ability to win a shootout with just about anyone, as evidenced by the fact that all three of their stars will be All-Stars this year. However, if Philadelphia trades for LaVine, a one-time Nets target, the 76ers could easily leapfrog the Nets in the hypothetical power rankings in the Eastern Conference.