Breaking down Brooklyn’s Blockbuster deal with Philly
In the end, the Nets had no choice but to make a deal. It was a lose-lose scenario for Nets GM Sean Marks, forced to choose his own poison earlier than he had hoped: Either trade James Harden now and blow-up whatever semblance of chemistry the Nets had on this roster, or create an uncomfortable environment with a player who’d all-but made it clear he didn’t want to be in Brooklyn, only to watch him leave in free agency for nothing in return.
Marks is a perennial candidate for the NBA’s Executive of the Year award for this very reason. He got out ahead of this superstorm and dealt Harden (and veteran forward Paul Millsap) to the 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons, Andre Drummond, Seth Curry and two future first-round draft picks.
It’s a massive haul when you consider the writing on the wall pointing to Harden’s departure from
Brooklyn to Philadelphia when free agency rolls around.
CLAX STAYS
The dust around Barclays Center has officially settled, and there were no further trades beyond the league’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline. That means thirdyear forward/ center Nic Claxton will remain in Brooklyn at least until the offseason, despite multiple sources telling the Daily News the Nets had worked to move Claxton ahead of the trade cut-off.
The Nets sat Claxton with left hamstring tightness — the same injury they diagnosed Harden with leading up to his deal — each of their last two games and upgraded him to questionable against the Wizards on
Thursday.
But they are now log-jammed at the center position with Drummond and Aldridge projecting to play a large share of the minutes at the five, while Griffin is still a reserve center on the team. None of these big men can play alongside one another if the Nets are seeking both spacing and defensive versatility, and since the trade deadline has come and gone, the Nets can’t move any players — unless they waive them from the roster outright.
Sharpe is also expected to see the majority of his playing time come on G-League assignment with the Long Island Nets.
HARRIS AVOIDS TRADE
Sharpshooter Joe Harris was
a popular name thrown in trade scenarios after needing a second opinion on a surgically-repaired left ankle. It is unclear whether Harris will undergo a second surgery or rehab without an additional procedure. Regardless, the Nets are in limbo and short the league’s reigning three-point efficiency leader until he makes a decision on his future.
SAME PROBLEMS
If there’s any knock on the Nets’ trade deadline move, it’s this: The roster redundancy remains the same.
Johnson, Bembry, Brown, Edwards and Duke Jr. all profile similarly: They are reserve wings whose primary function is to bring energy, specifically on the defensive end. With Curry inserted into the lineup, and the Nets opting to keep Harris beyond the trade deadline, there simply isn’t enough minutes to go around for all these players to make an impact.
Johnson has played well enough to cement his role in Nash’s rotation, but Bembry and Brown have each been inconsistent. Bembry is shooting 41.7% from deep this season, by far a career-high, but he doesn’t have the volume (less than one attempt per game) to truly substantiate his efficiency.
Hopefully, the newfound spacing with Curry’s arrival helps open things up for Brown, whose struggles this season have been tethered to defenders staying in the paint to protect the rim due to a lack of shooting in the corners.
FUTURE MOVES
The Simmons deal now puts the Nets in firm position to trade for their next superstar this offseason — if they so choose after superstar experiment No. 1 failed miserably this season.
The trade market could be ripe again this summer, when both the Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards have to turn something into nothing around their respective superstars, Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal. A deal headlined by Simmons, a few young players, and the pair of first-round picks Brooklyn received from Philadelphia could be enticing enough of a restart package for any team to part ways with its star.
TITLE ODDS
The Nets entered the day 4-1 favorites to win the NBA championship, but their odds have now fallen to 5-1, where they’re now behind the Golden State Warriors and tied with the Phoenix Suns. The Philadelphia 76ers entered the day with 14-1 odds to win it all, but upon news of acquiring Harden, those odds have increased to 7-1, tying the Sixers with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks.