NBA Trades: 4 Teams poised to trade up in the 2023 NBA draft

Trade Up Candidate #4: Brooklyn Nets: Picks #21, #22, #51

It’s been a bit of a wild ride for the Brooklyn Nets, who just a few months ago looked like they were prepared to contend in the East. After the sudden exits of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets rebounded with their new-look core to make the playoffs, with Mikal Bridges looking like a late-blooming star.

Over his stint of games with Brooklyn, Bridges averaged over 26 points on great efficiency, which should make the team optimistic that he can occupy their leading scorer role heading into next season. With a potential core of Bridges, Cam Johnson, Cam Thomas, and Nic Claxton, alongside a veritable stable of veteran players, the Nets may not have to wait long to make it back to the playoffs.

If they wanted to go all-in on the present, the Nets have the resources to do so. Two picks in the middle of the first-round packaged together alongside a player like Dorian Finney-Smith could help the team careen up into the low lottery and snag a player who could balance out the starting lineup of the team:

With a trade-up with New Orleans or Atlanta, the Nets would be positioned to snag a player like Nick Smith Jr., Gradey Dick, or Kobe Bufkin, each of whom fits into a need with the team. Dick is an elite wing shooter who could form a super-sized perimeter next to Bridges and Johnson. He’s one of the best snipers in the draft and brings more craft to his game than many expect.

Drafting either Smith Jr. or Bufkin could be a boon for the team too, as Spencer Dinwiddie isn’t the team’s long-term answer at point guard. Either player could wait behind him for a season before emerging in the future to be the future floor general for the next perennial Brooklyn playoff team.