Recent prediction sees Nets cut ties with prized forward

With the February 8 trade deadline just days away, many are wondering what the plan for the Brooklyn Nets may be.

Considering they are just one win behind the Atlanta Hawks for the 10 seed and final spot in the Play-In Tournament, there are those who believe the franchise could make some sort of splash to better their odds of clinching a playoff berth for the sixth time in a row.

Others, however, are less enthusiastic about the idea of Sean Marks going out and striking a deal for a win-now type of talent and, instead, believe the club might want to serve as sellers so they can start preparing for 2024-25 and the seasons to come.

While there are pluses and minuses attached to both courses of action, at this point in time there's truly no telling what the Nets will wind up doing at this year's cut-off though, recently, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report made a bold prediction that the franchise will wind up parting ways with one of their core starters, Dorian Finney-Smith, in a deal with the Dallas Mavericks.

Recent prediction has Nets sending Dorian Finney-Smith to Mavericks

"The three-and-D ace spent his first six-plus seasons in Dallas, impressing first with his hustle and defensive versatility and later adding a fiery three-point shot to his arsenal. He may not be a star, but he's a more dynamic defender than Grant Williams and a more reliable spacer than Derrick Jones Jr. Finney-Smith is, in many ways, the ideal type of support player to slot alongside ball-dominant, offense-first stars like Dončić and Irving.

The Mavs have previously shown interest in Finney-Smith, per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, and Dončić has expressed a desire to reunite with his former running mate. Finney-Smith won't come cheap—he has a team-friendly contract that runs through at least next season—but a full-strength Dallas squad is close enough to contention to justify a substantial splurge."

- Zach Buckley

A tremendous 3-and-D role player, it makes sense that the wing-needy Mavericks would be open to reuniting with the likes of Finney-Smith. Currently on the season, the veteran is posting impressive per-game averages of 9.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 38.3 percent from distance.

Of course, although many teams have been linked as being interested in the 30-year-old and recent rumblings indicate the Nets are willing to trade him, as Buckley suggested in his piece the asking price to attain his services is bound to be rather high, with the folks at Nets Daily stating that Brooklyn is looking for multiple first-round picks in return.

As the days wind down between now and the deadline, fans should expect to see DFS mentioned ad nauseam within the trade rumor mill, for there are bound to be a slew of clubs dialing up the Nets to inquire about his availability.

In Buckley's eyes, however, he sees Dallas as being the eventual winner in this respective sweepstakes.