Getty Jacque Vaughn head coach of the Brooklyn Nets looks on.
Despite being in fourth place in the Eastern Conference playoff standings with a record of 29-18, the Brooklyn Nets are not taking their foot off the gas. Determined to put together a roster that can make a deep run during the NBA playoffs, general manager Sean Marks and the Nets front office are expected to be active as the NBA trade deadline looms.
According to NBA insider Kevin O’Connor of “The Ringer,” Brooklyn is prepared to part ways with sharpshooters Joe Harris, Seth Curry, and veteran shooting guard Patty Mills in potential trades.
“Brooklyn isn’t being complacent ahead of the trade deadline. League sources say the Nets are one of the teams more actively looking for upgrades before the stretch run,” O’Connor writes.
“Joe Harris ($18.6 million), Seth Curry ($8.5 million), and Patty Mills ($6.5 million) could be involved in trades because of their short-term salaries and the fact that they’ve been playing lesser roles lately.”
The latest Nets news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Nets newsletter here!
Nets Lacking Assets for Potential Trade Deadline Deals
The Nets may want to be active at this year’s trade deadline, but unfortunately for them, just wanting to get better won’t yield the results they want. They also need desirable assets that other teams want to acquire from them. And outside of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Nicolas Claxton, they don’t have much to choose from.
But two players that could pique the interest of rival teams are Day’Ron Sharpe and Cam Thomas, who don’t see much time for the Nets anyway. Those two players, coupled with the few draft picks they have available could help Brooklyn bring back a backup center to relieve rising star big man Nic Claxton which O’Connor says they “need the most”.
“The Nets don’t have a ton of assets beyond them to include in any potential trades. Outside of those three movable players, they have only unproven talents like Day’Ron Sharpe and Cam Thomas, their own 2028 and 2029 first-round picks, and a future first from Philadelphia in 2027 or 2028,” O’Connor added.
“It’s unrealistic that they’d cough up much value for a backup, but they should feel some urgency to maximize their title odds, whether by adding a better-fitting wing (like Kyle Kuzma, Bojan Bogdanovic, or Alec Burks) or what they really need the most: a backup for Claxton.”
Cam Thomas Has High Praise for Jacque Vaughn
Things may be running smoothly for the Nets now, but things were not always this way. The Nets started 2-5 under former head coach Steve Nash and, to be frank, just were not a good basketball team.
But since Jacque Vaughn took over as head coach on November 1, the Nets have a record of 27-13 and have looked like legit title contenders when healthy. Second-year guard Cam Thomas had high praise for the job that Vaughn has done, thus far.
“Coach has been amazing in leading us all together, giving us input, letting us give ideas. Just talking things out. It’s been great. It’s really rubbed off on us as a team. A coach like that, you really want to play hard for him. You don’t want to let him down. You want to give your all to a guy like that,” Thomas said of Vaughn to SNY’s Ian Begley.
“Sometimes we have a game plan, and it doesn’t work every time. Since we’re the ones out there playing, we have a feel for it. Our instincts kick in. So, if we need to switch a defensive coverage or switch things up offensively, we can give good input on how the game is flowing. That’s been really good for us.”
It will be interesting to see just how far Vaughn can take the Nets this season.