The NBA offseason is winding down and with it, a turbulent few months for the Brooklyn Nets appeared to have come to an end.
After rampant speculation and uncertainty, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving return to Brooklyn committed to the Nets for the 2022-2023 season. They also come back to a significantly improved roster.
Ben Simmons and Joe Harris returning from injury will provide a major boost to the supporting cast. The additions of Royce O’Neale, T.J. Warren, and Markieff Morris provide upgrades as well. However, there are still roster holes Brooklyn can address in the coming months such as backup point guard and center.
Here are three veterans the Nets can trade for to address those needs:
Turner has been frequently linked to the Nets in prior seasons. Brooklyn has a need for a floor-spacing big to complement Ben Simmons’ lack of shooting. The hope is Morris will fill that role, but the Nets would be sacrificing interior defense in small-ball lineups with Morris at center.
That is where Turner separates himself from most floor-spacing big men. At 6'11” with impressive athleticism, the center possesses a rare skillset as both a rim protector and floor spacer. Turner blocked a career-high 3.4 shots per game in 2020-2021 and shot over 33% from three on 4.4 attempts per game in each of the last two seasons.
Shams Charania reported in June that Indiana was seriously discussing trades centered on the big man. With Turner set to make $17.5 million this year, Brooklyn would likely have to part with Joe Harris in a trade. This decreases the likelihood of a deal getting done, but if the need for a stretch big intensifies during the season, the Nets could part with Harris or get creative to land Turner.
Sticking with the center position, Jakob Poeltl would add depth and experience to a young Nets group. Brooklyn’s center rotation currently consists of Nic Claxton, Day’Ron Sharpe and Markieff Morris.
Claxton flashed his defensive versatility last season and should be sufficient as the starter. However, the big man has struggled with injuries during his young career, playing just 79 total games in the last two seasons. If Claxton goes down, can Brooklyn rely on Sharpe in his second season? Or Morris who played just 17 games last year and isn’t traditionally viewed as a center?
This is what makes Poeltl an attractive option: dependability. The 26-year-old has played in at least 66 games in each of the last five seasons. While he doesn’t possess the athleticism of Claxton or former Net Jarrett Allen, Poeltl has shown a knack for finding his spots and impacting games at the NBA level. The Austria-native averaged 13.5 PPG and 9.3 RPG (both career highs) while blocking 1.7 shots per game last season.
After trading away All-Star guard Dejounte Murray for future picks, San Antonio is positioned to lead the tank race for Victor Wembanyama. Further aiding that process while collecting more draft capital should be appealing if Brooklyn inquiries about Poeltl.
Cory Joseph
A reliable ball handler to backup Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons is another pressing need for Brooklyn. Irving has well-documented issues staying on the floor, making secondary ball handlers valuable during the regular season. Goran Dragic filled that role late last year and his impact orchestrating the offense was evident. Cory Joseph could have a similar effect.
The 11-year veteran started 35 games for Detroit last season, averaging 8.0 PPG and 3.6 APG on a career-high 41.4% shooting from three. At 31 years old, Joseph doesn’t fit the timeline in Detroit with a young backcourt that now features Cade Cunningham, Killian Hayes and Jaden Ivey.
Joseph’s pesky defense, shot-making and experience could prove valuable to the Nets during the dog days of the regular season. Brooklyn could piece together minimum contracts with draft compensation to pry Joseph’s expiring deal away from Detroit.
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