The Brooklyn Nets made the first trade of 2021 draft night when they send Landry Shamet to the Phoenix Suns in return for Jevon Carter and the 29th overall pick. With the move, the Nets now hold the 27th, 29th, 44th, 49th, and 59th picks in this draft.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news on Twitter.
It is possible that this will not be the last move from the Nets tonight. With all of the picks that they have stockpiled, it would not be a shock to see them try to move up in the draft and find a rotational player that can make a difference right away.
The Brooklyn Nets made the first trade of NBA draft night.
Depending on how the player the Nets get with this pick turns out will really be the determinant on if this was a good deal or not. In terms of the players being traded, Shamet and Carter have very different skill sets.
Objectively speaking, Shamet is the more talented player and has had more success in his career up to this point. However, he does not quite fit in on this Nets team.
The Nets last season were arguably on paper the biggest offensive juggernaut the league has seen this side of the 2018 Golden State Warriors. However, they were lacking on the defensive side of the ball. Last season, the Nets had the 23rd-ranked defensive rating while having the top offensive rating.
This trade gave away some of their excess offense and traded it for a player who does not need the ball to be effective on offense and can also do the dirty work to improve their defense.
In Shamet, the Brooklyn Nets are losing a player that shot 38.7 percent from three for them. However, with sharpshooters like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Joe Harris on the roster, they likely will not miss Shamet.
In trading him away, they got rid of a defensive liability. Throughout his career, Shamet has been a player that the opposing team can target on the defensive end. Standing at 6’4″ and only 190 lbs, he struggles to stay in front of stronger opponents.
This has led to him having an average defensive rating of 115, and this season he finished with a rating of 118. In contrast, Carter has an average defensive rating of 111 throughout his three-year career.
Along with this, he is a very solid 3-point shooter as well. He is a career 38.1 percent shooter from beyond the arc and does not force up shots either. This trade may end up being a non-factor in the grand scheme of things, however, Phoenix got an adequate 3-point shooter, and Brooklyn got a very talented defender along with a pick.
If the Brooklyn Nets can find a stud or package together this pick to move up in the draft, it will be a great deal for the team.