Nets Linked to Rising 2-Way Star Due For Big Payday

At some point, the Brooklyn Nets’ season will come to an end, and when it does their attention will turn to the offseason where they could be big players for a highly-sought after piece.

“The market for [Toronto Raptors forward OG] Anunoby was hot at the trade deadline and should grow in the offseason,” reports Heavy Sports NBA insider Sean Deveney. “Among the teams potentially looking to make a run at Anunoby: the Knicks, Warriors, Nets, Pistons and Pelicans.”

Deveney notes that ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported the Memphis Grizzlies offered three first-rounders for the 24-year-old swingman only to be rebuffed and told Toronto also wants a player in return.

But that price tag only figures to get higher with increased competition.

“Wing defenders are at a huge premium, there are so few guys who can be a stopper on the wing and still make some shots and be a factor offensively, guys who can walk and chew gum,” one Eastern Conference GM told Deveney. “OG can do that. He is still getting better. You’re gonna have to pay him after next year but he is on a good contract now.”

Anunoby averaged 16.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists during the regular season on .476/.387/.838 shooting splits. He was also tasked with guarding a wide range of opponents, drawing the praise of his head coach, Nick Nurse.

“One night he’s guarding Anthony Davis and the next night it’s DeMar DeRozan, and the next night it’s [Nikola] Jokic and the next night it’s Beal,” Nurse said, per Adam Laskaris of Offside.

“It’s such a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and speed and strength and positions.”

Under the current CBA, the Raptors can only extend Anunoby for up to 120% of his current salary, a figure that comes out to roughly $100 million, per Aaron Rose of Sports Illustrated’s All Raptors. Once the new CBA kicks in, that number will jump to roughly $116 million, a notable difference. But there is still the issue of him potentially wanting a bigger role which the in-flux Nets could provide.

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Nets Could Face Potential Bidding War For OG Anunoby

Anunoby still has two years left on his rookie extension at over $38 million including over $19 million on a player option in the final year. The bidding war for his services could get intense with Deveney making special note of Dwane Casey, who moved from being the Pistons’ head coach to their front office after Detroit’s season ended.

“The Knicks are in a good position to really look at using the picks they have to get a wing defender who can solidify the rest of the roster,” the GM said. “And I’d look out for Detroit. Dwane Casey was OG’s first coach. They are going to look to get out of their rebuilding mode sooner rather than later and they have the assets to do it. New Orleans is in the same boat. The Warriors would have trouble making it happen but I know some of them on that staff really love OG.”

That is a lot of potential suitors which will drive up the price but the Nets have a piece that was previously of interest to the Raptors and, perhaps, will be again this summer in the offseason.

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Raptors Wanted Nic Claxton at Trade Deadline

“[The Raptors] have been adamant about getting Nic Claxton back in any kind of deal with Brooklyn,” reported Ian Begley on SportsNet New York’s ‘The Putback’ podcast on February 8, just one day before the NBA’s trade deadline. “They’re playing hardball with Brooklyn and you’d expect them to. They don’t have to trade OG Anunoby…So they would be looking for the best deal possible.”

Claxton is coming off his best regular season as a pro averaging 12.6 points and 9.2 rebounds while leading the league in field goal percentage.

But his offensive repertoire is limited, is slightly built making it difficult to play him straight up against the like of Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid or Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo — both of whom outweigh him by a sizeable amount and attack in very different ways — and will be heading into the final year of his contract due a raise of his own.

Anunoby would not solve the Nets’ issues in that regard.

He could, however, form an even more tantalizing wing duo with the Nets’ own breakout star Mikal Bridges, and – depending on what happens with his restricted free agency – Cameron Johnson.

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