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Brooklyn Nets 4-time All-Star forward Paul Millsap will be 37 years old on February 10th, which just so happens to be the same day as the NBA trade deadline. Despite being a 16-year veteran, Millsap still believes he can be a contributing player and wants a bigger role than the one he has right now with the Nets. According to Shams Charania of “The Athletic”, Millsap and the Nets have mutually agreed to part ways. But despite their agreement on a split with the former Denver Nugget, Michael A. Scotto of HoopsHype says that Brooklyn won’t part ways with Millsap for cheap.
“Brooklyn wants an asset of some kind for Paul Millsap, whether it’s another veteran who can help them win now or a future second-round pick, I’m told,” Scotto said per HoopsHype.
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Lakers & Bulls Interested in Nets Paul Millsap
The Nets are currently short-handed with injuries to key starters in LaMarcus Aldridge, Joe Harris, and Kevin Durant. So the best course of action for them would be to get something in return for Millsap. But with the trade deadline just over a week away, the clock is ticking for them to strike a deal for their veteran forward. Which means the likelihood of a buyout agreement is increasing. If the Nets were to buy out Millsap the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls are expected to be among his major suitors.
“Paul Millsap is another name to watch in Chicago if he gets bought out by the Nets following the trade deadline. The Bulls showed real interest in Millsap before he chose the Nets as a free agent. They could use a little help with their frontcourt depth as they try to make a run in the playoffs,” Scotto wrote for “HoopsHype” per NetsDaily.
Much like the Nets, the Lakers have underwhelmed this season. They currently have a record of 24-27 and sit in 9th place in the Western Conference playoff standings. In addition, a knee injury has held LeBron James out for the last three games with no return date in sight. Jake L. Fischer of “Bleacher Report” says that the Lakers could be a landing spot for Millsap as well.
“The Lakers are searching to find Kent Bazemore a new home after he opened the season as a starter. And while it’s believed Paul Millsap would prefer to land in Chicago, having a connection to Bulls lead executive Arturas Karnisovas from their shared Denver days, Los Angeles has been mentioned as a suitor for Millsap should he reach the buyout market,” Fischer writes for “Bleacher Report” per Nets Daily.
Executive Says Dinwiddie ‘Not Good Enough To Have the Ball’
The Nets made the tough decision to part with Washington Wizards guard Spencer Dinwiddie last summer after he battled back from a partially torn ACL that he suffered at the beginning of the season. Dinwiddie had improved steadily with the Nets and was beginning to blossom into a star after a breakout season in 2019 where he averaged a career-high 20.6 points per game.
But in his first season with the Wizards both he and the team have struggled as Washington sits in 12th place in the Eastern Conference and Dinwiddie is averaging just 13.0 points per game. Fischer says that the former Nets guard’s decline has been noted by personnel across the league.
“Team personnel across the league have noted Dinwiddie’s decline in production as he’s returned from a torn ACL that cost him all but three games in the 2020-21 season. “He needs the ball, he’s not good enough to have the ball, and he’s not a good shooter,” one Western Conference executive told [Bleacher Report]. Even with a career-high 37.6 percent mark in 2016-17, Dinwiddie has converted just 31.8 percent of his long-range attempts in eight seasons,” Fischer said per NetsDaily.
With the trade deadline drawing nearer and so many holes in the active roster, the Nets could look to make a move before next Thursday’s deadline.
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