Trade Deadline: Nets Seeking Upgrades At This Position

As an up and down season continues for the Brooklyn Nets, it looks like the team is putting more stock in the highs than the lows. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets’ front office intends to be “active” ahead of the NBA trade deadline, especially in seeking out talent for their frontcourt.

Woj: "Brooklyn [Nets], like a lot of other contenders out there in both conferences, see a marketplace right now that is much more of a sellers than a buyers market. Just Not enough teams have really made the decision that they're going to be sellers, that they're out of it." pic.twitter.com/e5blAQLyIY
— 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧' 𝐍𝐁𝐀 (@_Talkin_NBA) January 12, 2023

After an abysmal and controversy-laden start to the regular season, Brooklyn has ripped off a miraculous 18-2 stretch, relying on good health and the all-world play of Kevin Durant to skyrocket up to second place in the Eastern Conference. Now though, Durant has injured his MCL and will be out for at least two weeks, and more likely a month. This sets his potential return right around the February 9th trade deadline, meaning the next month will be a desperate struggle to tread water in the top echelon of the East without their best player.

Kevin Durant’s career averages in points, rebounds, and assists per game have INCREASED since he came back from his Achilles injury.

Incredible. pic.twitter.com/HNMBvbB02t
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 8, 2023

If the Nets can acquire some frontcourt help to play alongside or behind breakout center Nic Claxton, they could be an absolute juggernaut in the playoffs, assuming Durant’s return to health. One potential obstacle, though, as Woj reported, is the uncertainty around many of the mid-level teams over whether to buy or sell at the deadline:

“Just not enough teams have really made the decision that they’re gonna be sellers, that they’re out of it for the play-in or the playoffs, and usually that happens closer to that Feb. 9 deadline. Brooklyn’s gonna be active… particularly in the frontcourt.”

In the meantime, the Nets will be taking on the first-place Boston Celtics tonight sans Durant, giving them a good chance to evaluate the strength of their supporting cast.