The Brooklyn Nets fell short of their championship dream after putting together a ridiculously stacked roster. Injuries caught up to them, as Kevin Durant essentially was by himself in their matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks. After setting themselves up with three superstar athletes, the front office has to make some aggressive moves in the offseason. Winning the NBA Finals is the ultimate goal, and the Nets have a short window of opportunity.
As for the Oklahmoa City Thunder, they have acquired an insane amount of draft capital and have a ton of cap space at their disposal. They're in a full rebuild and could be looking to trade Kemba Walker for as much as they can get. The front office added Walker to the squad, along with another first-round selection, by trading away Al Horford to the Boston Celtics. After having a down year in Boston due to injuries, Walker's value has dropped quite a bit. However, there is reason to believe he can bounce back.
It might sound crazy for the Nets to try to acquire Walker, but they could put together a decent offer to get another All-Star on the roster. Getting Walker in the rotation with Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden would be pretty crazy.
Here's a trade offer Brooklyn could make for Kemba Walker.
Spencer Dinwiddie (sign-and-trade), Joe Harris, and DeAndre Jordan for Kemba Walker, Luguentz Dort, and a first-round pick
Spencer Dinwiddie is becoming a free agent after declining his player option for 2021-22. Dinwiddie recently opened up about his free agency and made it clear he's looking for big money, even throwing out a five-year, $125 million number for Brooklyn. It's unclear if the Nets want to give him such a lucrative long-term deal, so they could look to include him in a sign-and-trade.
Trading away DeAndre Jordan and getting off his contract would be ideal in this trade given he offered the Nets very little this season. Giving up Harris' shooting ability would be tough, but he just stunk it up in the playoffs and Dort would bring a much-needed defensive presence. Getting a first-round pick would be helpful for the future.
For the Thunder, they would get Dinwiddie to team up with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Having Dinwiddie and SGA together would give OKC a tall backcourt that causes fits for opponents. The addition of Harris would work great for the Thunder as well, as he'd help spread the floor with his 3-point shooting. Jordan would serve as a nice backup center who could help mentor the young roster. Giving up one first-round selection wouldn't hurt given their massive treasure trove of picks already at their disposal.
The Nets would bolster their elite backcourt for a deep playoff run next year with this trade, while the Thunder would improve their roster overall and retain a majority of their draft capital. While this trade definitely is a long shot given Brooklyn already has Kyrie Irving and James Harden in the backcourt, don't count anything out in the NBA.
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