We are within the last few weeks of January, and the NBA Trade Deadline is fast approaching. February 6th is right around the corner, and it seems as though the Brooklyn Nets need more work than we would’ve thought.
True, there have been a plethora of injuries, but I’m sure many Nets fans, as well as those in the Nets front office, thought the team would be further along. On top of all that, Kyrie Irving released comments basically saying that this is not yet a championship roster. He doubled down, saying this was a glaring fact. So with these things in mind, I’ll be looking at potential trade moves that the 18-23 (at the time of my writing this) Brooklyn Nets could make.
But before we go into the potential trade of this article, I’d like to assess the most crucial needs for the team.
- -Point Guard Depth
- -3&D Wings
- -Athleticism
- -Stretch Bigs
- -Shot Creators/Playmakers
- Shooters
With this established, the first team that came to mind to look to trade with would be the Detroit Pistons. After years of mediocrity and injuries, the Pistons’ front office looks as though they are trying to start from scratch yet again. There is news of them strongly considering to move the talented Blake Griffin, and there were already rumors swirling of them shopping Andre Drummond around the league (the New York Knicks were one of the teams who were deemed interested). With the Pistons blowing it up, look for them to be sellers at the trade deadline.
And this is where we could possibly help one another out.
How do one of these trade variations look:
for
Dzanan Musa, Garrett Temple, and a second-round pick
A rebuilding Pistons team does not need a veteran of Derrick Rose’s caliber. They also get back a professional player in Garrett Temple to mentor the youth on the roster and in the future. Dzanan Musa is a player who is thought to be oozing with potential. In Detroit, he will have more opportunities to reach that potential with more consistent playing time. The second-round pick adds to the Pistons draft capital, which they are no doubt hoping to expand. Detroit also gets some small change off their cap.
In Derrick Rose, the Brooklyn Nets get a former NBA MVP. Derrick rose checks off a couple of boxes. He can create his own shot. Check. He can play make for others. Check. He answers the problem of point guard depth. Check. He’s still relatively athletic. And although he’s never been a great shooter from beyond, Derrick Rose has come a long way with his outside shot. Last year he shot 37% from beyond. This year he’s a peg under 32%, but he’s a decent enough threat from there. He does bring another consistent mid-range scorer and someone who can get to the rack with ease.
If the Brooklyn Nets Brass could also get Thon Maker out of the Pistons in this same trade, even better, then Maker would be an athletic stretch big who is still super young despite being in the league for five seasons.