The Nets had an offseason for the ages as they were able to land superstar Kevin Durant and star Kyrie Irving. The duo has yet to play together but, many look at the pairing with the Nets’ supporting cast as title contenders.
Looking to add more star power, executives believe that Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Jarrett Allen are “available”, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Taking this into consideration, in this article, we look at five players that the Nets could look to trade for.
Bradley Beal
Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards have had a pretty mediocre season, despite still being in the playoff race, this team has not been able to find their footing, and, at this point, their reason is all but over. Beal has been carrying the Wizards and with him, they are at least respectable.
Beal was seen visibly frustrated with the Wizards after back-to-back 50-point games that resulted in losses. With no real direction on this team and their star point guard, John Wall, still recovering from an Achilles injury, Beal could look to request a trade from the Wizards this offseason.
Beal is just entering his prime and having just signed an extension, any team looking to acquire him will have to give up a lot. A potential trade for Beal from the Nets would see them parting ways with Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, and a plethora of first-round picks and pick swaps.
This trade would allow the Wizards to essentially hit a reset. The pairing of Wall and Beal was semi-successful but, injuries have derailed a potential championship window, if there even was any. A young core of LeVert, Hachimura, and Allen is an intriguing one. Add Dinwiddie to that and this team has the potential to be semi-competitive for many years to come.
Looking at the Nets, the trio of Irving-Beal-Durant would catapult them up in the standings and drastically improve their chances of winning a championship. Beal could also alleviate the offensive pressure from KD and Kyrie and would give the Nets, potentially, 3 25-point scorers.
Ben Simmons
Simmons and the Sixers have had a disappointing season and with the playoffs just right around the corner, they need to turn it on immediately if they hope to contend for a championship. Thinking about splitting up the duo of Embiid-Simmons at this point seems premature considering that the pairing is only 25 and 23, respectively. But, if Elton Brand does not believe that the two can win a championship together, the Nets must jump on any opportunity to acquire an all-star player.
Any deal for Simmons from the Nets would be similar to the Beal deal stated above. Again, the trio of Dinwiddie, LeVert, and Allen alongside Embiid and their supporting cast should still be competitive in the Eastern Conference. Also, the fit of Allen on this team is suspect and, at worst, the Sixers could flip him for a young wing player or pair him alongside Horford to entice a trade a get out of Horford’s abysmal contract.
Simmons would add another playmaker to the Nets and give them the elite perimeter defender that they need. His ability to play the point guard, small forward, and power forward position adds versatility to the Nets and Coach Kenny Atkinson can get creative with his lineups. Lastly, Simmons playing alongside more shooting and shot creators can drastically improve his game and we could see him flourish in a role as a slasher.
Devin Booker
After a hot start to the season, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns have cooled off and are now the 11th seed in the Western Conference and 4.5 games back from the 8th seed. Booker’s time with the Suns can be seen as a train wreck as they have been unable to surround him with the help needed to form a playoff team. Multiple draft mistakes have set this team back many years and this, alongside the incompetence in the front office, could lead to Booker requesting a trade.
Again, any trade would see the Nets parting ways with LeVert, Dinwiddie, Allen, and multiple first-round picks.
At just 23 years old, Booker has already established himself as one of the best shooting guards in the NBA. With an All-Star appearance under his belt, the sky is the limit for him and putting him on a team expected to contend for a championship such as the Nets would see his game go to even higher levels. As a scorer, Beal’s impact and pressure will make it easier for KD and Kyrie to score and this could help to ease them back in as they heal from their injuries.
CJ McCollum
McCollum has been a great 2nd option for the Blazers but, with their playoff hopes getting slimmer and slimmer, a trade could happen this offseason. After making the Western Conference Finals last year, many had high hopes for the Blazers this season. That has not been the case as they started the season poorly and now have an uphill battle in their quest to make the playoffs.
If they fail to make the playoffs this year, they could look to reset and split up the pairing of Lillard and McCollum.
A McCollum trade would see the Nets, more than likely, parting ways with two of their three best assets in Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Jarrett Allen. Considering they seem to be set at center with Hassan Whiteside, depending on if they re-sign him, and Jusuf Nurkic, once he returns from injury, it seems as if they would like Dinwiddie and LeVert. This trade would also see the Blazers giving up a first-round pick to balance it out.
Dinwiddie can give the Blazers a great scoring punch whether it be off the bench or in the starting lineup and LeVert can be a great piece for this team for many years to come.
As a trade option, McCollum can flourish and once again, he would be another player to alleviate offensive pressure from Kyrie and KD.
Zach LaVine
LaVine and the Bulls have had an up-and-down season and with frustrations building up, LaVine could force his way out this offseason.
A potential trade would see the Nets parting ways with two of their three best assets, and for this trade, it would be LeVert and Dinwiddie, considering the Bulls have young centers in Wendall Carter and Daniel Gafford.
Looking at his impact on the Nets, LaVine would be one of their go-to scorers and seeing that he had found some success as a third-option in Minnesota, it shouldn’t take much time for him to adjust.
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