Some executives around the league expect that Networks will buy some of their outstanding veterans, including Michael Porter Jrbetween now and the February 11 trade deadline, Jake Fisher of The Stein Line reports.
The Nets do not control their own first-round pick in June, as they still owe Houston a 2021 acquisition James Harden. Brooklyn may have additional motivation to pounce on a depressed trade market due to the expected lack of genuine sellers. The new lottery system prevents some contending teams from trading away players for draft capital, and an unnamed strategist for an Eastern Conference team told Fisher: “There will be fewer salespeople than ever before.”
Porter Jr. is making $40.8 million this season and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Here are some more interesting tidbits from Fisher:
- The Pacerswho fought with Tyrese Halliburton out with a hamstring injury, are checking the market for potential mid-level upgrades. Stein’s line prepeatedly reported that Indiana was one of the teams that was interested Nick Clifford before it was handed out to Thunder.
- After being stripped of so many picks as punishment for circumventing the salary cap, Clippers can be persuaded to shop Max Strus, Chris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr and possible Brandon Ingram to replenish the draft stock.
- Are they Bucks giving NBA investigators even more ammunition in their investigation Gary Trent Jrexpansion? There is a league sensing to Trent’s four-year, $64 million contract after the quarterback signed a pair of team-friendly one-year deals. Several opposing teams are openly wondering why Trent isn’t in Milwaukee’s rotation given the contract he gave him.
- Teams with losing records could make deals shortly after Dec. 15 — when most July free-agent signees become eligible to trade — rather than at the February trade deadline, Fisher hears. That would allow the acquiring team to get roughly 30 more games out of the player for probably the same draft capital outlay as in February.
