The Brooklyn Nets have already started making waves in trade deadline season, putting themselves in prime position to acquire high-quality assets and shed money at the same time.
For the first time since the Celtics trade, the Nets have the ability to amass a collection of young talent. Here’s how they do it ahead of the February 8. trade deadline:
Trade Option One:
Brooklyn Nets Receive:
Emmanuel Mudiay, Malik Beasley, 2018 protected 1st round pick
Why the Brooklyn Nets make this trade:
Spencer Dinwiddie and Quincy Acy are members of the “Underrated Quality Players who are About to Get P-A-I-D” group and given the conflicting timelines with the Nets, should be on a different team by February 10.
Dinwiddie trade value has never been higher, making a huge leap to become an above average starting point guard right as he’s poised to enter his prime. Acy’s proving himself to be a reliable stretch 4 who won’t hemorrhage points defensively.
Unfortunately for the still rebuilding Nets, neither player fits the Nets’ timeline, but the team should still be looking to maximize their value via trade.
Moreover, while Mudiay and Beasley have been wildly disappointing thus far in their careers, they are still brimming with potential. Both have first-round pedigree, and are young enough (average age of 21) to become quality players in the league.
Even though he’s lost his starting spot in Denver, Mudiay has flashed serious potential as a good point guard in the NBA and should only get better with age. While Beasley looks every bit the part of the ever-coveted athletic 3&D wing that could make him a valuable player in a different situation.
The Nets should still be looking for cost-controlled assets with potential in the vein of a Mudiay or Beasley, while waiting to get out from under the ramifications of the worst trade in NBA history.
Denver Nuggets Receive:
Why the Nuggets make this trade:
As good as Jamal Murray has been lately (averaging nearly 19.6 points per game in his last 20 meetings), the Nuggets still need a secondary facilitator next to Nikola Jokic. Spencer Dinwiddie could fill a myriad of gaps on the Nuggets, aiding their woeful defensive efforts (22nd in defensive rating), while providing enough offensive juice to boost their already lethal attack (8th in offensive rating).
Quincy Acy provides the Nuggets with another big who can stretch the floor and can hang defensively. Given the fact that his deal expires this summer and he could be expensive to retain, he’ll likely only be a rental for Denver.
Although Acy and Dinwiddie should help the Nuggets finally get to the playoffs, they make this trade is to get rid of Mudiay. He’s been dreadful his first three years, failing to live up to any expectations of him coming out of the draft and at times looking borderline-hopeless.
Beasley hasn’t looked much better thus far. He looks the part of an athletic 3&D wing, but for some reason hasn’t been able to get minutes his first-round pedigree would suggest (career 9.1 minutes per game).
The Nuggets need to offload these players while their age (both 21) still inspires hope in their potential.
Trade Option Two:
Brooklyn Nets Receive:
Malachi Richardson, Georgios Papagiannis
Why the Brooklyn Nets make this trade:
Similarly to the proposed Nuggets trade, this trade is less about the return for the Nets, rather the players they’re giving up. Joe Harris has revamped his career in Brooklyn in 2017-2018, flashing a more well-rounded offensive game than he displayed at any other point in his career, while still remaining lethal from downtown (40.2 percent from the perimeter).
However, like Acy, his contract runs out after this campaign and he probably won’t be too keen on staying with the Nets with greener pastures just across the way. Furthermore, he’s in the middle of a career year (career highs in points, assists, rebounds, and field goal percent per game), so the Nets should be exploring all possible options before the next free agency period.
The return they would be getting is nothing to scoff at though. Malachi Richardson hasn’t gotten a lot of run in the NBA. Yet, Richardson’s size and stroke are assets with potential to become a quality player. Papagiannis has been thoroughly disappointing, but a change of scenery could be what the center needs to unlock his game.
Look, the Nets are still under the shadow of perhaps the worst trade in NBA history. And, although the franchise is desperate to win, exercising patience will pay dividends. The Brooklyn Nets need to look beyond the short term production and see the long term potential.
Sacramento Kings Receive:
Why the Kings make this trade:
Thus far, Richardson and Papagiannis have been nothing short of disappointments in Sacramento. Given the collection of young players the Kings amassed, it’s likely their value regresses without a better balance of experience around them. Therefore, any value SAC could extract from a trade involving the two would be a win.
That brings us to Joe Harris. The former Wahoo is enjoying a career year on a cheap contract. Sacramento will run into the same money problems as Brooklyn would with Harris. But, the spacing he provides would certainly help rookie point guard De’Aaron Fox.
For any other organization, this move would seem shortsighted. Giving up two young players this early in their career for a rental would usually be considered idiotic. But this is no ordinary organization. They have consistently failed to develop young talent and for years have been toiling on the treadmill of mediocrity.
This trade may seem far-fetched but if Sacramento were able to pull this off, the future would certainly look brighter.