3 buy-low trade targets Nets must pursue ahead of Feb 8 deadline

1. D'Angelo Russell

Though the most popular point guard target for the Nets throughout the season has been Atlanta Hawks star Dejounte Murray, recent rumblings suggest the Los Angeles Lakers are going hard in their efforts to attain his services before this week's cut-off.

Unfortunately for them, per NBA insider Shams Charania, the two teams are struggling to find a third party that would be willing to take on D'Angelo Russell in a hypothetical exchange, for his $18.6 million salary is the most likely to be moved to make the numbers work.

Perhaps the Nets may wish to get involved in this particular scenario?

While he may not have the overall allure of Murray, Russell is a talent who could certainly benefit this Brooklyn squad as he's a highly versatile scorer, a nifty ball-handler, and a competent facilitator who, as one may remember, is already familiar with what it takes to succeed while playing in Brooklyn.

Now in his ninth season in the NBA, the one-time All-Star (with the Nets, FYI) finds himself posting impressive per-game averages of 17.3 points, 6.2 assists, and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 41.6 percent from deep.

Bringing his abilities aboard while parting ways with one or two undesirable contracts in the process should be viewed as a highly intriguing course of action for the franchise to consider taking and, with just one more year remaining on his contract, such a move would be far from a potentially debilitating long-term gamble.

In fact, if all goes well, at just 27 years old he could theoretically even establish himself as a cornerstone piece for the franchise moving forward.