It’s no secret the Brooklyn Nets are expected to be sellers at the trade deadline. Before the season even started, the Brooklyn Nets got their own section in our story about the players most likely to be traded during the season.
That talk has only increased as the season has gotten rolling, something Sam Amick reported on at The Athletic.
The trade deadline is still nearly three months away, but there is plenty of chatter about Brooklyn being the place to go for contending teams looking for upgrades when that crucial time of roster-building finally arrives. League sources say the rebuilding Nets are expected to be open for business, even with this competitive start (5-9; 20th in net rating) in which first-year coach Jordi Fernandez has made good use of the available talent.
Players to watch on the Nets as the trade deadline nears:
• Cam Thomas. Averaging 24.6 points a game Thomas is an old-school gunner who is shooting the rock fairly efficiently (.599 true shooting percentage). He did not agree on an extension with the team this summer.
• Dennis Schroder. Proven veteran point guard averaging 18.1 points and 6.1 assists a game this summer, and has had some big moments in the clutch for Brooklyn.
• Cameron Johnson. A player coveted by a lot of teams looking for depth along the front line, the 6’8″ power forward is averaging 16.9 points per game while 38.1% on 3-pointers.
• Dorian Finney-Smith. The veteran forward is averaging 10.9 points a game, is shooting 39.7% from 3 and can defend.
• Nic Claxton. A good rim-protecting big man who signed a four-year, $100 million extension this offseason, there may be a number of teams looking for centers at the deadline and Claxton will draw interest.
• Bojan Bogdanovic. He has yet to set foot on an NBA court this season as he recovers from foot surgery, but once he does and shows he can still play, there are a lot of teams who could use his shooting on the wing.
Not all of them will get traded at the deadline, and GM Sean Marks can afford to hold out for the best deals. Just know the Nets do not plan to hang on to everyone and push to become the No. 9 seed, they will be selling at the trade deadline. Just don’t expect a discount.