The Nets need to determine whether Caris LeVert can be the third star alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on a championship team or a trade piece to acquire one, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.
LeVert was on a tear prior to the suspension of play and figures to be in high demand on the trade market, Lewis continues. LeVert is entering the first season of a three-year, $52.5MM extension. The Nets have several trade assets, including Spencer Dinwiddie and Jarrett Allen, but LeVert might be their best chip, Lewis adds.
We have more on the Nets:
- Longtime NBA guard Jamal Crawford believes Irving and Durant will go through an adjustment period, Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News relays. Crawford made his comments in a Scoop B Radio interview with Brandon Robinson. “They’ll have moments where they have to figure it out and work their way through,” he said. “Those moments may come more in the closer games because they’re both used to having the ball and making plays and making decisions and certain ways they may go about things in the closer games. So maybe more presence there, but I’m sure it will happen during the course of the season.”
- The Nets hold the rights to four European draft-and-slash players but none are potential difference-makesr, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic. The most recent of those picks, 2017 second-rounder Sasha Vezenkov, isn’t an NBA-caliber athlete, Hollinger continues. The combo forward doesn’t move his feet well and is a poor rebounder, Hollinger adds.
- All four of the team’s players, including Durant, who tested positive for COVID-19 are now symptom-free. Get the details here.
Nets will trade Dinwiddie for Aaron Gordon
They would trade Kyrie if they were smart
I’d like to see Kyrie traded for Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr.
Why would Denver do this: because Kyrie is already a more efficient than Jamal. Kyrie is born to play the role that Jamal plays in Denver’s offense (score first and always pg). Put Kyrie in Jamal’s role, and Kyrie’s efficiency will increase and Denver’s offense will be extremely amazing. Denver is already a top 3 team in the west. Adding Kyrie gives them a solid to chance to go the finals and possibly win a championship. Michael Porter Jr is talented but Denver is not a great situation for him to blossom. Unless Denver reconfigures how it runs it’s offense, Porter won’t be able to become more than a super role player. In Denver the role Porter fills can be filled by a role player like Jerian Grant. Denver would be losing Porter’s long term upside but adding Kyrie gives them a championship window and that’s why they play this game.
Why would Brooklyn do this? Because Kyrie is not a number 1. The Nets won’t win a championship unless Durant returns to being a number 1. Porter may very well be able to become a number 2 guy next to Durant. Maybe Porter will become a number 1 player within a few years. Murray is a downgrade from Kyrie but the dropoff is not that extreme. A Nets starting lineup of Murray, Lavert, Porter, Durant, and a center is probably better than Kyrie, Lavert, Joe Harris, Durant and a center.
Interested to hear if anyone disagrees and why? Other than the fact that this will never happen because Kyrie and Durant are friends. Not interested to hear non-basketball assessments.
Edit: Kyrie is already a more efficient scorer than Jamal
And it’s an interesting trade, but I think the Nets would prefer to consolidate (with Din/Allen/Caris/Prince/picks) than trade kyrie for *more* depth
I don’t think Brooklyn will do the trade either because of marketing purposes. Kyrie is a super star and Jamal and Porter Jr aren’t. NBA teams are businesses and stars sell the business.
Nuggets would hang up the phone.
Why?
Would be a huge blow to lose MPJ… but maybe if it gives you a shot, you might do it.
Getting rid of Murray is always a bonus, very expensive for a very average player, just a guard, not particularly important for the team with Jokic playing the Point Center.
The Denver offense is heavily invested in the center as the point. A ballhog PG would not fit and Murray is not that; he’s a combo guard forced into the PG. Denver would have to give up on a successful system, and the Nets would have to give up on what they have been doing with player acquisitions.
No trade yet if ever.
Jamal has taken 15.5 shots per game the last 2 years. Kyrie for his career has basically taken 18. Kyrie does like to shoot, but Jamal takes the most shots for Denver. I don’t see Denver having to change its offense barely at all. They just let Kyrie take all of the shots that Jamal takes plus a few more. Kyrie will make those shots at a significantly higher rate than Jamal. Those shots will be a lot of drives to the hoop off picks set by Jokic, or if the defense goes under Jokic’s picks, Kyrie will be shooting unguarded deep jumpers. Jokic will be by far the best pick partner he’s ever had and as a result he’ll have better spacing more open shots than he’s ever seen.
I haven’t see Kyrie waiving off picks to demand isolation plays. Maybe he does that more often than I am aware. Kyrie will have to give the ball up to Jokic fairly often tho and act as a spot up threat, but he won’t have to do that nearly as much as he had to do that with Lebron, and I think his ego can handle that if he’s averaging 30 points per game and taking almost all the big shots for a very serious championship contender.
That does make sense except for the vibes. It would turn into a yourturn-myturn, running the offense. I’m not sure Irving is generous enough to allow for a point center and ultimately wants to take over and be spontaneous. Jokic meanwhile would feel belittled on his own team. I think he can get grumpy & overweight.
Well this is all too touchy-feely and assumptive but Denver would deny it thinking this. Brooklyn, maybe, but it’s too early to go so big for them.
There was a lot of talk about Jrue Holiday for the Denver backcourt, about how that would be a fit. It would be a good spot for rookie Edwards.
I can definitely imagine a scenario where Kyrie’s personality grates on his teammates and the locker room chemistry gets bad and the team plays worse. I can pretty easily imagine Wil Barton getting upset with Kyrie. I mean I don’t know Wil Barton’s personality, but he was able to be a star a lot of nights for Denver. He was their 3rd lading scorer. Next year is a contract year for Wil. He’ll be 30 years old. I’m sure he’s hoping for an even bigger role next year. To earn a big contract. Not a shrunken role watching Kyrie take all the glory. If that wrecks Barton’s game, that would be really bad for Denver. So anyway, yes it would be a very risky trade for Denver and I doubt they’d do it. Thank you for your thoughtful responses. And my hopes for us all in this difficult time. Wishing you all well!