Nets Notes: Thomas, Frontcourt, Simmons, Watford

Although the trade deadline is still about two-and-a-half months away, there’s already “plenty of chatter” about the Nets being one of the go-to stops for contenders seeking upgrades this season, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, who says Brooklyn is expected to be “open for business” on the trade market.

As Amick writes, while veterans on expiring deals like Dennis Schröder and Bojan Bogdanovic are considered the Nets’ top trade candidates, the team is unlikely to make anyone totally untouchable. That includes leading scorer Cam Thomas, who is “widely considered to be available” after not signing a rookie scale extension with the club prior to last month’s deadline.

A source who spoke to NetsDaily downplayed the idea that the Nets would be actively looking to move Thomas, however. That source noted that the lack of extension can be attributed in large part to the team’s desire to maximize its 2025 cap flexibility and added that owner Joe Tsai is a big fan of the fourth-year guard.

Here’s more on the Nets:

• With top two centers Nic Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe on the shelf due to injuries, the Nets’ lack of size has been a glaring issue as of late, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post. In one story, Lewis takes a look at how the team’s struggles in the paint and on the glass were difference-makers in Sunday’s loss to the Knicks; in another article, he explores the trickle-down effect the injuries have had on the rest of the roster, including forcing Ben Simmons to play “somewhere he’s clearly ineffective.”
• After missing 13 games due to a hamstring strain, Nets forward Trendon Watford made his season debut on Sunday and was a team-high plus-four in the 10-point loss, registering four points, three assists, and three rebounds. Watford said after the game that he believes he can be a “Swiss army knife” for the Nets and is willing to play whatever role head coach Jordi Fernandez asks of him, according to Lewis. “Just being a little bit of a play-maker, doing everything,” Watford said. “I’ll get better with time and just try keeping that role I had last year, just being that guy to do a little bit everything, guard every position. So trying to be that for the team.”
• The “big three” version of the Nets led by Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden certainly had more talent than this season’s roster, but Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post argues that the current iteration of the team is more fun to watch, crediting Fernandez for the Nets’ relentless playing style.