After an offseason full of turmoil, the Brooklyn Nets have fallen to a disappointing 1-5 record to start the season. On paper, the Nets have one of the best rosters in the league and should be considered contenders. Unfortunately for Brooklyn, this has yet to reflect itself on the court; injuries have been part of the reason for the Nets’ underwhelming start. However, missing a couple of solid rotation players doesn’t justify their atrocious start.
Although the Nets boast a pretty loaded roster, skeptics singled out their lack of size and interior defense as the weaknesses that would hold them back from being serious contenders. After six games, it seems like the skeptics were right about their concerns. According to NBA.com, Brooklyn ranks 30th in defensive rating, allowing 121.6 points per 100 possessions.
They also rank dead last in defensive rebounds, grabbing 29.5 defensive boards per game. As presently constructed, this will continue to be a problem that hinders the Nets. As of now, their frontcourt is composed of Nicholas Claxton and second-year player Day’Ron Sharpe. While both have shown promise at times, they lack the size to solve the Nets’ defensive issues.
To address their defensive problems, Brooklyn will have to look elsewhere for reinforcements, either by trade or by signing a free agent. Although there are a couple of intriguing free agents on the market who could be had for cheap, like Dwight Howard or Hassan Whiteside, If the Nets are serious about contending, it will require a trade to bring in a player of the quality needed to fix their issues.
Luckily for them, they have a couple of tradable contracts plus draft picks that they received in the James Harden trade. One other thing in their favor is that the center position is the most replaceable position in the game, and there are a couple of centers that could be had in the trade market. Here are two trades the Nets should pursue to address their defensive problems.
Trade #1: The Brooklyn Nets receive Myles Turner. The Indiana Pacers receive Joe Harris, Cam Thomas, and an unprotected 2027 first-round pick via Philadelphia.
Why the Nets do it: Myles Turner is one of the premier rim protectors in the league, averaging 2.3 blocks per game throughout his eight years in the NBA and having led the league in two of those years, per Basket Ball Reference. One thing that is really attractive about Turner is his ability to stretch the floor as a shooter.
This is useful for any team, but more so for the Nets, who have Ben Simmons on their roster. Simmons’ inability and unwillingness to shoot from distance makes it difficult to play non-shooting bigs next to him.
Why the Pacers do it: After trading their All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis to the Sacramento Kings and Malcolm Brogdon to the Celtics, the Pacers have pivoted towards a rebuild. Turner is in the last year of his deal, and it seems highly unlikely that both parties want to renew their commitments to each other. This is why, rather than lose Turner for nothing in free agency, it would be wise of the Pacers to ship out Turner in exchange for assets that align with their current organizational position.
Receiving a 2027 1st round pick via Philadelphia is a good order of business for the Pacers. They are also taking a flyer on Cam Thomas, who has shown flashes as a scorer on several occasions. While Joe Harris will probably not be part of their long-term plans, he is an elite shooter who could be traded elsewhere for other useful assets.
Trade #2: The Brooklyn Nets receive Jakob Poeltl. The Spurs receive a 2023 Brooklyn 1st round pick, and a 2028 top 10 protected 1st round pick, Seth Curry.
Why the Nets do it: Losing an elite shooter of the caliber of Seth Curry would sting. However, the Nets are one of the few teams in the league that have a plethora of shooters and can afford to trade away one of the best three-point shooters in the league. While not a household name, Jakob Poeltl has been one of the best rim protectors over the past few years.
Even though his shaky free-throw shooting may make it difficult to play him in closing lineups, especially next to Ben Simmons, His elite rim protection and rebounding will compensate for his poor free-throw shooting. By adding Poeltl, the Nets would be able to address their defensive problems and could put themselves back in the mix as a potential title contender.
Why the Spurs do it: The San Antonio Spurs are in the midst of a rebuilding project, Poeltl is relatively young, and the Spurs could re-sign him if they wished to. However, it would be wise for them to trade him for future assets.
Even though Poeltl is a solid player, he doesn’t have much more upside, and he plays the most replaceable position in the game. Getting two first-round picks for him would be a haul for the Spurs.
Getting Seth Curry as part of the deal doesn’t hurt either, although he may not be part of the Spurs’ future. They could certainly reroute him before the deadline and receive additional assets for him that are aligned with their current timeline.