The rebuilding Brooklyn Nets have pulled off their second notable trade in the past fortnight, having previously dealt Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors earlier in the month.
Veteran forward Dorian Finney-Smtih is on his way to the Los Angeles Lakers, along with seven-year guard Shake Milton. Former Warrior D’Angelo Russell is headed back to the Nets, with Brooklyn also acquiring Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks.
Related Post
The current trade landscape could be very beneficial to the Warriors
After a previous belief that the Nets may be able to get some sort of first-round capital for Schroder and Finney-Smith, they instead had to settle for a haul of second-round picks from the Warriors and Lakers.
That sets a very interesting precedent for what could happen ahead of the February 6 trade deadline. While the Warriors did obtain Schroder earlier in the month, they still have some roster issues that will likely leave them very active over the coming weeks.
One player who is garnering a lot of speculation on social media is Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, with a widely-held belief that Golden State need an offensively skilled big man to complement the defensive presence of Trayce Jackson-Davis and Kevon Looney.
The 2x All-Star is very much available on the trade market, but their remains uncertainty on where his value lies amid a strong start to the season. Fortunately for the Warriors, Vucevic could be had very cheaply according to long-time NBA insider Marc Stein on Sunday.
“The Bulls, in particular, have hoped that Vučević’s sizzling offensive season would lead to a trade offer that features at least one future first-rounder,” Stein wrote. “That just might not be possible in this marketplace even with Vučević averaging 20.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game while shooting 57.3% from the field and 45.5% on 3-pointers.
If Golden State only have to deal a second-round pick or two and salary to acquire Vucevic from the Bulls, then that’s an incredibly low-risk, high upside move that may be their most viable option if a blockbuster trade for a star isn’t forthcoming.
Vucevic is making exactly $20 million this season, meaning the Warriors could reach his salary with some combination of Looney, Gary Payton II, Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield and potentially Moses Moody if they can find a way around the poison pill provision in his extension.
Vucevic is having an incredibly efficient year offensively, and while the Montenegrin would bring significant defensive concerns, his presence may allow the Warriors to play Jonathan Kuminga at the three rather than relying heavily on small-ball center minutes from Draymond Green.
