Getty Eric Gordon #10 of the Houston Rockets
The NBA offseason continues rolling on with training camp quickly approaching, and yet there still remains a lot of uncertainty around where things with the Brooklyn Nets will end up. All signs are seeming to point to Kevin Durant eventually returning to the Nets last season. The 12-Time All-Star has been reported to be meeting with Nets ownership, and he was also recently seen with Nets teammate Ben Simmons in LA. Kyrie Irving is also feeling better about the chances of going back to Brooklyn.
“A source close to Irving said this week that the seven-time All-Star is in a good place with the Nets and comfortable entering the 2022-23 season,” Ian Begley wrote for SNY.
So far already, the Nets have had a sneaky successful offseason this year, and bringing back Irving and Durant would make them instant contenders next season. If they are able to bring back their two franchise players, expect them to make other moves to finalize their roster.
Brooklyn has been linked in trade rumors to players like John Collins, who is on the trade block for the Atlanta Hawks. They have also been called the ‘best fit’ to land eight-time All-Star Dwight Howard as a free agent. However, recently another name has been named as a player that the Nets should target from the trading block.
Nets Should Trade For Eric Gordon
In a recent article from Sports Illustrated’s Fan Nation, Ben Stinar wrote about one player that Brooklyn should target, Eric Gordon. The Houston Rockets have had veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon on the trading block for a while now but have been in no rush to trade the star.
“While Houston Rockets veteran guard Eric Gordon drew trade interest around the draft, there’s no urgency to trade him currently. Houston views Gordon as an asset on the court and a veteran mentor to the young core. His $19.5 million salary can be used as part of a large trade before the deadline, and his skill set as a shooter, playmaker, and defender remains attractive enough to playoff teams that he’s expected to retain a trade market for his services,” Michael Scott of Hoops Hype reported.
Gordon averaged 13.4 points per game on over 41% shooting from the three-point range last season. However, most impressive for Gordon is that he averaged a career-high 6.4 assists in his fourteenth career season. With his playmaking ability and sharpshooting, Gordon could be an excellent addition to the Nets, and it may not take a lot to get a deal done for him.
Teams Hesitant to Negotiate with Brooklyn
After the trade request, the Nets have been unable to get a deal done for Durant or Irving. Most teams don’t have the assets to deal for Kevin Durant without having a third team in the negotiations. However, other NBA teams are hesitant to jump into the deals and help Brooklyn facilitate that, according to Begley’s reporting.
“Part of the pessimism stemmed from the idea that, as of last month, there was little appetite in the market for teams to serve as a third or fourth team to facilitate a Durant trade.
‘No one wants to help (Brooklyn get a deal done),’ one team remarked.” Begley wrote.
If no teams are willing to be the third team to push a deal for Durant passed the finish line, perhaps the team will look for other players like Collins or Gordon.