NBA Trades: Houston Rockets into contention in spicy mock deal with the Nets and Jazz
By Cal Durrett
NBA Trades: Would the Nets agree to the deal?
The Nets were one of the worst teams in the NBA this season but find themselves without a high lottery pick due to the James Harden trade from 2021. Ironically, they could get the third pick in the draft back from the Rockets if they agreed to this hypothetical deal.
Not only that but they would also get two additional picks, including the 2026 pick they traded to Houston, which would allow them to rebuild through the draft rather than have to sink all their eggs in the free agency basket. Given how the big three era of Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant ended, doing a full teardown might be the better and less risky route.
After all, even if they were to land a star via trade this summer, they may have to give up three first-round picks to pair them with Bridges and even then, they might not be a playoff team given how good the Eastern Conference has gotten. That would mean that they would have to find a way to either land a third star and mortgage their future further or try to build around those players but without the assets to do so.