Getty Jakob Poeltl (right) of the Spurs
For front office honcho Sean Marks, if there is an upside to the struggles endured by the Nets in the past three weeks, beginning with the knee injury to star forward Kevin Durant, and coinciding with the tumultuous return of Kyrie Irving for road games and reports of unhappiness from James Harden, it’s that all the trouble began well ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline, which will be upon us next week, and the team has an opportunity to address its flaws now.
While the blockbuster move could be a trade of James Harden to the Sixers, there is some debate about whether the Nets are all that eager to make such a deal now. Shams Charania, on one hand, reports that the Nets are open to discussing a deal to move Harden along. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, though, says Harden has made it clear he wants to remain in Brooklyn.
Heavy.com’s Steve Bulpett reports that some around the league have warned the Sixers that Harden and Philly star Joel Embiid might not be the best mix, with one exec saying, “ James is a weird control freak.”
On NBA Countdown, Woj said Kevin Durant wants James Harden to stay in Brooklyn. Also added that Durant wants everyone in Brooklyn as committed to winning a title as he is.
Woj said Harden continues to tell Durant and Nets management that he wants to be in Brooklyn.
Sources: The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to pursue Brooklyn’s James Harden ahead of NBA trade deadline Thursday – and the Nets are now open to discussing a deal.
Details on @TheAthletic:
Another league executive, though, tells Heavy.com that it is likely the Nets seek to keep the Irving-Durant-Harden trio together at least through this season, but that the best approach would be to address a spot that could settle down the team’s current mix and refocus on a championship.
Making a Move Could Mean Dealing Cam Thomas
The problem: It could well cost the team exciting rookie prospect Cam Thomas, who has shown flashes of scoring brilliance. But if the Nets can get a center who can anchor them—Jakob Poeltl of the Spurs being the suggestion—it could be worth the price.
The issue for the Nets, of course, is that they have much staked on this season. Both Harden and Irving can be free agents next summer, and the season has slipped into disaster. The team does not have much to offer by way of assets, but Thomas has impressed.
He had 30 points in the Nets’ last outing, a loss to the Jazz. He is averaging 8.0 points on 43.9% shooting and 26.1% from the 3-point line.
Poeltl Would Solidify the Nets in the Middle
But Thomas is still a very raw scorer, and needs time to develop better shot selection and consistency. The Nets do not have time to wait on him.
“I think if you’re the Nets, you can get a guy like Poeltl who can make you solid on both ends of the floor, you have to go for it,” one Eastern Conference exec said. “Center has been a weak spot, they have not liked what they’ve seen from (Nic Claxton), he has been inconsistent and can’t stay healthy. You’ve got to rescue this season, you have to live in the now. Cam has upside, the guys on the team seem to like him. But he is a little one-dimensional, a scorer, I don’t know that he grows into anything beyond that.”
Poeltl, for his part, has been outstanding this season, averaging 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He shoots 61.4% from the field and averages 1.7 blocked shots. He makes $8.75 million this year, which would fit into the $11.5 million trade exception the Nets have from the Spencer Dinwiddie deal last summer.