The Brooklyn Nets may be building toward the 2027 postseason, but the bigger picture in Brooklyn still revolves around development and keeping future options open. That’s why Julius Randle has entered the conversation as both a stabilizing presence and a possible trade chip in a deal that could swing the franchise in a very different direction.
Sai Mohan of Heavy floated a three-team trade involving the Nets, New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers that would send a package of players and picks to New Orleans. Under the proposal, the Pelicans would receive Jarred Vanderbilt (via NTMLE), Jaden Hardy, Jake LaRavia, Dalton Knecht, a 2027 first-round pick (via HOU), a 2028 top-8 protected first-round pick (via NYK), a 2031 second-round pick and a 2032 second-round pick (via WAS).
Two of the key picks in that deal belong to Brooklyn: the 2027 first-rounder via Houston and the 2028 top-8 protected first-rounder via New York. Because both are expected to land outside the lottery, the idea is that the Nets could use them to chase a player whose value has dipped but whose upside still looms large.
That player is Zion Williamson.
“For all his flaws and inconsistencies, Zion Williamson is box office,” Mohan wrote. “And the Nets, one of the most valuable franchises in the league, could use a player of his name value.
“The Nets would really have nothing to lose by pairing Williamson and MPJ along with their long list of young players, who are expected to be unleashed by head coach Jordi Fernández this coming season. With the unique contract structure of Williamson, they are not obligated to guarantee him another year, either, making it a risk-free trade.”
Williamson’s career has already included stretches when he looked every bit the force he was at Duke and in his early New Orleans days. But injuries and body transformations have followed him since he entered the NBA, leaving his future a constant topic of debate.
Brooklyn already took a swing on Michael Porter Jr. as a player looking to revive his career. And with no real incentive to tank next season, the logic here is straightforward: why hold onto picks that may not turn into a franchise-changer when they could be used to land a former generational talent?
The appeal goes beyond the box score. The Nets need a name and a personality fans can latch onto at Barclays Center or wherever they’re watching. Williamson brings that kind of pull, and he could give Brooklyn a jolt on social media and on YES Network every time he rises for one of those thunderous dunks.
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For Brooklyn, it is another reminder of how quickly the Simmons chapter closed after he spent parts of four seasons with the franchise before being waived during the 2024-25 season. He has also been linked in past reports to a possible Knicks move, and while he has floated interest in a return to Philadelphia or a stint in Miami, nothing has been confirmed as he tries to restart his career. [Read more 🡒]