What an eventful past year or so it has been for the Brooklyn Nets. They have had to weather a ton of off-court drama, including, but not limited to, Kevin Durant's trade request, Kyrie Irving's vaccination and anti-Semitic tweet saga, and Ben Simmons' uneven play. However, all things considered the Nets have landed safely on their feet following the seemingly never-ending barrage of issues they have had to endure.
At the moment, despite Durant's injury, the Nets are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference, thanks in large part to their torrid December stretch. Nonetheless, while the Nets may no longer be the laughingstock of the league these days, they have higher hopes than a mere feel-good season.
The Nets have wanted to win a championship ever since signing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to long-term deals, and with the championship picture as wide open as it is at the moment, they have as good a chance as any team to compete for a ring, health permitting.
Still, the NBA is, and has always been, an arms race. The Nets know this; that is why they traded away Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert, and a ton of draft capital for James Harden in 2021. They now have Ben Simmons to show for it, which isn't the worst thing in the world, but the Nets know that pulling off such huge leaps of faith entail huge risks.
Thus, with the NBA trade deadline approaching, the Nets should be careful in who they trade away, lest it ends up in a less-than-ideal outcome than they first envisioned.
These are the two players that the Nets would end up regretting should they decide to trade them away.
Nets will regret trading away Seth Curry and Ben Simmons
Those were the two main pieces the Nets received when they dealt away a disgruntled James Harden last year; if reports are to be believed, then the Nets could very well end up trading away these two in the service of hunting for potential upgrades to bolster their championship odds.
However, the reasons as to why the Nets must not trade them before the February 9 trade deadline are crystal clear.
First and foremost, we must address the elephant in the room: Ben Simmons. Simmons has had his moments this season; in particular, from November to December, the polarizing point forward had a stretch where he looked like his confident self back when he was still in the early stages of his Philadelphia 76ers stint.
But Simmons' continued injury woes have been frustrating, and it's not like he's the most seamless fit alongside the nascent Nicolas Claxton – who has emerged as one of the best young rim-running rim protectors in the NBA.
Thus, the Nets could end up viewing Ben Simmons as their most reasonable avenue towards acquiring a potential upgrade via trade. The three-time All-Star makes around $35 million a year, which would then allow the Nets to acquire some much-needed reinforcements that fit better alongside Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
However, that would entail selling low on Simmons. There are no concrete indications that the Nets are looking to offload the 6'10 forward. But if they end up at the conclusion that Simmons' best value is as a trade piece, they should wait until the offseason to proceed with a move of such magnitude.
Meanwhile, there's a reason why winning follows Seth Curry wherever he goes. He may forever find himself trapped under the shadow of his more celebrated older brother Steph, but he contributes to winning at a high level in his own right.
Shooters of his caliber don't just grow on trees, and the Nets, just like any other contender, need to keep shooters like Seth Curry on their roster, not trade those kinds of pieces away. Just ask fans of the Portland Trail Blazers, Dallas Mavericks, and Philadelphia 76ers just how much they miss having the less-heralded Curry in town.
If there's anyone the Nets should move, if they really decide that pulling off a trade is necessary, it's Joe Harris. Harris may be the only player left from the Nets' core from before the KD and Kyrie era, but the NBA, as a results-oriented business, does not have room for plenty of sentimentality.
Harris just has not been the same since crapping the bed for the Nets in the 2021 postseason. Moreover, his injury woes last season definitely did not help matters.
Therein lies the problem for the Nets, however. Joe Harris' dip in form, along with his $18.6 million salary this season and fully guaranteed $19.9 million compensation for next year, would most certainly throw potential trade partners off.
Thus, the Nets should familiarize themselves with the concept of “zugzwang” as it appears that the best move for them may be to not pull off any move at all.
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