Getty Head coach Jacque Vaughn of the Brooklyn Nets.
The Brooklyn Nets (29-17) don’t need many things. They have a fairly deep roster that is of course bolstered of course at the top by the dup of Kevin Durant – when healthy – and Kyrie Irving the latter of whom has taken it upon himself to step up in light of the former’s absence.
He’s averaging 31 points on 58.3% true shooting over his last five games with 48 and 38 points in his last two outings.
Brooklyn is also one of the best teams in the NBA when it comes to shooting the deep ball.
That does not mean the front office is content to just roll on with what they have. A rival executive has said that the Nets are expected to remain “aggressive” in trying to add to the roster for a deep playoff push. Regardless of what they have, they could always use more for the road ahead which could lead them to Utah Jazz guard Malik Beasley.
Malik Beasley ‘Probably on The Top’ of Nets’ Trade Target List
“Brooklyn…would like to bring in Beasley if it can move Seth Curry or Joe Harris,” a league source tells Heavy Sports NBA insider Sean Deveney. “He is probably on the top of the list for the Nets. But easier said than done.”
Beasley is averaging 13.7 points on 53.5% true shooting while connecting on 35.8% of his threes with 3.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists. This season has been an aberration for the 6-foot-4, 187-pound guard who shot 38.9% from deep over the last four seasons including 37.7% just last season.
He is in the third year of a four-year, $60 million deal with a $16.5 million club option next year.
Malik Beasley’s CLUTCH triple made it a 1-point game before Fontecchio’s game-winner!
The Nets could send either Harris along with some form of draft compensation or they could offer a package of Curry and seldom-used veteran guard Patty Mills.
If Utah – who is winning despite their youth movement – is more intent on younger players, Brooklyn could include Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe, though Utah likely has little use for the latter.
That is before going into the complications the Nets’ lack of draft capital brings about, as the executive alluded to. They will have a first-round pick this year from the Philadelphia 76ers thanks to the Ben Simmons trade. But they cannot trade a first-rounder until 2028 thanks to that deal that sent James Harden to Philly as well as the one that brought Harden to Brooklyn.
Again, though, it is not as if more shooting is a necessity.
Brooklyn Bombing Away
The Nets rank second in three-point efficiency but just 25th in attempts. With a mid-range maven like Durant and Irvin who is not too shabby himself from that area of the floor, it has not been a serious detriment.
Both Curry and Harris have averaged double figures over the last six games while also knocking down at least 37% of their threes on over 5.0 attempts per night. Royce O’Neale is right there shooting 37.1% while Irving is checking in at a 39% clip. But, without Durant and when teams gameplan for him and Irving in the postseason floor-spacing outlets will be paramount.
Head coach Jacque Vaughn already has the team taking more threes in Durant’s absence.
They have gone from 25th in three-point attempts with 31.1 per game before Durant went down to 19th in the last six games with 32 attempts from outside per night.
It is a slight but intentional and notable uptick and adding Beasley would certainly help.