Things could get very dicey for the Brooklyn Nets (27-15) with Kevin Durant out for the next few weeks. In many ways, it makes their previous 12-game winning streak that much more vital as it has provided them with some cushion.
The Nets have lost back-to-back games for the first time in two months and their offensive struggles led guard Seth Curry to suggest they need to find a different style of play.
Durant getting healthy is the most important factor.
But his absence has highlighted a weakness in the Nets’ roster that boasts depth on paper but is a little rigid in the matchups that those parts will be successful in. This has Brooklyn looking for deals to improve the group around Durant something that was an underlying need even before the 12-time All-Star’s injury.
Nets Eyeing Mavs’ Swingman Tim Hardaway
“They are considering an offer for Tim Hardaway Jr.,” a rival executive tells Heavy Sports NBA insider Sean Deveney. “Curry, Cam Thomas, and Patty Mills would be a decent return for Dallas, they would have to consider that. And Luka has a lot of respect for Patty Mills, he is a guy he has seen a lot in international play.”
Nets Get:
- Tim Hardaway Jr.
Mavericks Get:
- Seth Curry
- Patty Mills
- Cam Thomas
Hardaway is averaging 14 points on 53.9% true shooting for the currently fifth-seeded Dallas Mavericks adding 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists in nearly 30 minutes per game across 42 appearances.
That is notable because he is coming off an ankle injury that cost him all but 42 games last season including the postseason.
More encouraging is that he is getting better as the season wears on.
TH3O 👌
The 6-foot-5 sharpshooting wing is averaging 16.9 PPG on 58.4% true shooting over his last 24 appearances. He is in the second year of a four-year pact that will pay him $75 million over its life with no outs for either side. Acquiring the 30-year-old would be a move made with the idea he will be in place for the next few years.
Most importantly, he is having a bounce-back season from deep shooting 36.3% on threes this season and 39.9% over this 24-game stretch.
Parting Shots
This isn’t the blockbuster deal that some hypothetical scenarios have presented such as for Phoenix Suns big man Deandre Ayton. They wouldn’t be giving up major pieces but it wouldn’t exactly be a pittance either.
Curry, 32, is coming off a 23-point outing in the Nets’ 112-102 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. His best skill set is his long-range prowess – he’s shooting 42% from deep this season – but is limited defensively due to his stature being 6-foot-2 and not a great athlete. His $8 million contract is set to expire after the season.
Mills has been relegated to mop-up duty but the 34-year-old has double-digit points in three of his last six outings including a 24-point outburst in a 136-133 win over the Indiana Pacers.
The biggest loss would potentially be Thomas due to his still unknown ceiling. Drafted 27th overall in 2021, Thomas has had a tough time cracking the rotation but has also flashed his top-notch scoring ability with 33 points in that win over Indiana.
There was not mention of anything being imminent. But this is certainly something to monitor as the trade deadline draws near.
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Proposed Trade Would Send Nets $75M Sharpshooting Wing