The Brooklyn Nets reinforced their belief in their long-term plan by how they approached a potential trade for Jimmy Butler. According to Mike Scotto of The Athletic, the Nets were interested in bringing in Butler, but they declined to give up Caris LeVert or Jarrett Allen to do so. Scotto writes:
“Although the Nets viewed Butler as a top 10-15 player within the organization, they were never going to dangle their best assets — Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen or the team’s first-round pick — in talks for Butler, as reported earlier in September.”
The Nets are flying under the radar this season, but they could definitely sneak into the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.
Allen is developing into a productive big man that impacts the game on both ends of the floor. LeVert, on the other hand, is becoming a legitimate threat on the wing and is turning into a great late-game option for Kenny Atkinson when the Nets need a bucket. On Friday night, LeVert scored the winning bucket over the Denver Nuggets on a pure floater with 0.3 seconds left.
It's no surprise that Nets general manager Sean Marks was hesitant to move either LeVert or Allen in exchange for Butler. They see the pair as two of the foundation pieces in Brooklyn for years to come.
The long and slow rebuild finally looks like it's coming together, and the Nets aren't about to trade away their most prized assets — even if the return is a top star like Butler.
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