The Brooklyn Nets may be coming off a blowout win over the New Orleans Pelicans, but that hasn’t changed the bigger picture around the roster. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the team is willing to listen on just about anybody if the right call comes in.
“If you call the Brooklyn Nets about any of their players, they will listen. Per a team source, it’s just that simple,” Amick wrote.
That includes two veterans who are already drawing plenty of attention around the league: Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle. Amick described both as widely discussed trade targets in league circles, with Porter standing out as the most coveted of the bunch. He noted Porter is averaging 21.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
The idea of moving either player fits the reality of where Brooklyn is right now. The Nets are a rebuilding team, and even with no first-round pick this season, they could still choose to make deals that sacrifice some short-term wins in exchange for future value.
Porter and Randle are still working through how to fit together, but Jordi Fernandez has been deliberate about pairing them in lineups with plenty of size and playmaking. That setup is meant to help both players find cleaner looks and smoother rhythm.
Randle is at his best when he can get downhill, using his body to hold off defenders and finish around the basket. That kind of pressure also bends the defense and opens things up for teammates.
Porter, meanwhile, does his best work moving off ball screens, whether he’s setting up behind the arc or slicing to the rim.
The issue for Brooklyn is simple: neither player looks like the kind of centerpiece who can carry a championship contender as its top two option. That’s why the possibility of turning them into future assets makes sense.
It’s also notable that no one has been labeled untouchable. Instead, the Nets appear to be treating Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Demin as the core pieces to build around.
Still, Brooklyn has plenty of draft picks and no clear long-term No. 1 option, which makes flexibility a priority. The team’s best path may be to keep developing its young talent while staying ready to pounce if the right opportunity comes along.
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Nets Fans Should Watch One Costly Trade Possibility Closely
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Jordi Fernandez has been preaching a style built on attacking the paint and then using shooters to keep defenses honest, which gives Porter and Randle a clear framework to work within. With DayRon Sharpe, Nolan Traore and Egor Demin also part of the mix around them, the Nets have the pieces to make that approach work, but the next step is turning a promising fit into something more consistent. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Should Avoid A Risky Dejounte Murray Gamble
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Brooklyn just saw a version of Murray up close in its recent win over New Orleans, and the matchup offered a reminder that the fit is not a clean one. For a Nets team trying to sort out its own direction, the appeal of a name like Murray has to be weighed against the price, the injury history and the question of whether the payoff would match the gamble. [Read more 🡒]