The NBA Trade Deadline is 10 days away and unlike last year, the chatter around the Nets has been very quiet in terms of any potential deals.
Brooklyn is in a bit of a peculiar place right now as general manager Sean Marks and the Nets front office tries to navigate the waters in possibly bringing in some help for the stretch run of the season. The Nets have pulled themselves up by the bootstraps and back into the playoff picture after a rough start to the year.
Credit for that starts with head coach Jacque Vaughn, who took over during a very turbulent time for the franchise. But the Nets still need some help to push them back to a true championship contender and that won’t be easy to find.
The biggest need for Brooklyn has been finding help on their front court and adding a bit of depth behind Nic Claxton. With that in mind, here are three names that the Nets could look to add before the trade deadline.
John Collins
This has been a name that has been linked to the Nets for a while. amNewYork even discussed the possibility of it back in December when it was first reported that Brooklyn had “touched base” with Atlanta about Collins. There really hasn’t been much more since that time, but the upside is there to try and bring him into the fold.
He checks the box for size, coming in at 6’9,″ and he has the skill to be the shooter Brooklyn could use as well, even though he’s struggled this season. However, Collins will not be someone whom the Atlanta Hawks part with for just anyone and it was reported on Monday that head of basketball operations Landry Fields has made it clear that Collins isn’t someone “the franchise will simply dump in any form.”
Jae Crowder
Crowder is another name that has been mentioned as a possible fit for the Nets and he could still make a lot of sense for Brooklyn to pursue. The case for him is simple, he’s someone who adds size, provides help on defense and can shoot. And he could help open up the floor a bit for the guys around him.
Crowder hasn’t played this season while Phoenix tries to find a way to trade him. So far, only the Milwaukee Bucks have been given permission to visit one-on-one with Crowder, according to The Athletic, but multiple teams are still interested in him. Could the Nets pull off a coup and bring him to Brooklyn?
Naz Reid
There’s some reported interest from the Nets in making a play on Reid and he would fit the bill for what they need. Additionally, it seems that Reid would be available at a more reasonable price for the Nets.
In Minnesota, Reid is averaging 10.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 44 games this season. He gives the Nets the ability to have another player help space the floor, which could open things up for the likes of Ben Simmons and help in the minutes Nic Claxton is on the bench. He is also shooting 68% from the free-throw line, which helps when opposing teams start trying to hack at Simmons or Claxton.