This may be a good time for the Nets to make another attempt to acquire Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr., Brian Lewis of the New York Post opines. Porter signed a four-year, $106.5MM offer sheet with Brooklyn during the summer of 2017 but Washington matched it.
The Wizards have made Porter, who has disappointed since getting the big contract, available in trade talks, but there is reportedly little interest. Washington is on pace for a $14.6MM luxury-tax payment, in part due to that offer sheet, as Lewis notes, and could use some relief.
Brooklyn still needs a stretch four, a void that Porter could fill, though Porter’s contract also includes a 15% trade kicker. Presumably, the Nets could send Allen Crabbe or DeMarre Carroll and another player to Washington in order to make the salaries sufficiently match up, Lewis adds.
We have more on the Nets:
- There’s no timetable on Caris LeVert‘s return to the court but he’s relieved his injury wasn’t as bad as initially feared, according to NetsDaily.com. LeVert suffered a foot dislocation against the Timberwolves a week ago but is expected to return sometime this season. “I remember that night, when I got to the hospital, I didn’t get any sleep because I was just thinking the whole time, hoping it wasn’t as bad as it looked and how it felt,” he said. “But obviously I’m very blessed because it could have been a lot worse.”
- Crabbe is finally showing signs of breaking out of his offensive funk, Lewis writes in a separate story. Crabbe is averaging just 7.0 PPG on 27.3% shooting but had a 15-point outing on Saturday. Crabbe is the team’s highest-paid player at $18.5MM and holds a player option at the same amount for next season. “The coaching staff tells me to keep shooting,” he said. “Nobody’s telling me to stop, so we’ve just got to keep at it ’til it clicks. Hopefully, it’s the first game in the right direction.”
- Clippers forward Tobias Harris would be a sensible free agent target for the Nets. Read more about it here.
If Porter is clearly struggling, why would the Nets want him now? Especially with that contract.
From what I have read, people around the league believe that Porter is being under-utilized in Washington, and it has also been said that he is extremely uncomfortable there, which is playing a major role in his struggles and lack of production.
Potential acquiring teams tend to believe he would extremely benefit from a change of scenery..
The one hold up though, is Porter’s contract. Clearly, he’s on a very hefty deal, but I could see a team trading away a shorter bad contract for Porter, with the hope that by removing him from that toxic atmosphere surrounding the Wizards, it would tremendously go a long way towards helping him live up to his potential..
For Porter’s sake, I really hope he’s able to escape that laughing stock of a locker room!!
He isn’t the type of guy to really make waves in the media, nor publicly express his discomfort, but it’s quite clear just getting out of there would instantly help Porter improve and develop on and off the court.
OPJ is in the contract that the Nets not the Wizards offer to him, so that is the value they gave him, so, yes it would be nice that they came back for him.
Because they are the Nets. They and the Knicks are mentally challenged.
Tobias would be a great fit in Brooklyn. He’s from NY. Dream scenario for the Nets would be to get Kemba and Tobias (assuming they can get KD, Kawhi, Kyrie).
Agree with you 100%!!! Would still need to draft someone to play the 3 but those are the sort of pieces this team needs.
LeVert is the three. They need upgrades at pg and pf. Sg is ok, it’s joe Harris he’s not much of a defender but can really shoot.
Blazers gotta call and see if there’s a way to send some bad contracts and a pick or two to Washington for Porter without giving up Zach Collins
Tough call for the Nets. They did the exact same thing with Crabbe, and he hasn’t worked out all that well after they traded for him.
There’s also a Harrison Barnes comparison in here. While not a terrible deal, Barnes, in a similar position to Porter at the time he left GSW, has not delivered at the $25M a year rate which he’s getting paid.
As a trade off though, Lakers thought they had George in the bag. The Nets have space for two max players next offseason, but if they have targeted Porter and don’t think they can get two superstars to land there, it also is not a bad gamble either.
Is Otto Porter the next Bob Love?
The clown wizards organization seems to want to throw Porter under the bus as the scapegoat here. They knew what he was when they signed him and if they want him to be more aggressive then get rid of one of your ball hogs and free up some offensive usage on this poorly assembled team
Agree about Tobias Harris & Nets. RHJ is not an answer, and there are 3 vets who can finish the season at PF if Rondae is traded. Levert is fragile but well backed up so make him avail too. . . there should be interest. . . those 2 & salary may get Porter.
The Nets are prob too good to get in the top 5 drafting. Forget it.
Get playoff experience, lose eventually, get good & mad for future appearances, sign Harris, re-sign the young players and old players if at reduced rates, draft for talent, see how how far you can get.