Far away from the drama they had to deal with months ago, the Brooklyn Nets are now among the elite teams in the NBA. They currently carry a 27-15 win-loss record, which is good enough for second place in the Eastern Conference. Despite that, it still feels like there's room for upgrading the Nets roster. As such, here we will look at the players the Nets must move ahead of the 2023 NBA trade deadline, including Joe Harris.
The Nets were once thought to be potential sellers this season. However, under coach Jacque Vaughn, they have improved and are now among the teams looking to buy. They are in need of an upgrade at center to match up with other strong contenders in the East. They also could use more depth at forward to provide defense, toughness, and shooting. Of course, the Nets must also consider their luxury tax situation and may have to trade some of their bench players or use their second-round picks and cash to reduce the penalty.
With that said, let's look at the players the Nets must move ahead of the 2023 NBA trade deadline.
3. Cam Thomas
A couple of months ago, we considered Kyrie Irving to be Brooklyn's most tradeable asset. That's certainly changed now. Irving has been playing at an exceptionally high level. In fact, he is averaging 25.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 3.1 threes per game.
That means that the Nets should look to their other personnel as trade bait. Keep in mind that the Nets could benefit from adding a player with more size and rim protection. One guy they can consider trading is Cam Thomas. Right now, he has a 38.7 three-point percentage. He alone may not be enough to bring in a proven shot blocker. That said, he could potentially be traded for another young big who is not getting playing time on their current team. Of course, Thomas can also be an additional piece to a trade revolving around the other names on this list.
2. Seth Curry/Patty Mills
The Nets will face challenges in enhancing their roster before the playoffs. Specifically, they need to acquire more size and length. One option would be to trade away one of their smaller guard backups, such as Seth Curry or Patty Mills. They can ship them out in exchange for a backup center behind the improved Nic Claxton.
Take note that Curry will be entering unrestricted free agency this summer. Alternatively, the team could put Mills out there. He is under contract for $6.8 million next season and is a cheaper option for other teams to take on. Trading a small for a big seems to make a ton of sense for this squad moving forward.
1. Joe Harris
Lastly, the Nets should consider upgrading from Joe Harris. However, the team would need to include additional assets due to Harris' injury history and poor performance this season. They are limited in the types of picks they can offer, as they cannot trade their own distant first-round picks in 2028 or 2029. Ditto for the first-round pick they are owed by the Sixers in 2027 or 2028. Unless they are getting a player of All-Star caliber, they may prefer to keep their first-round picks as they still owe two more to the Rockets.
Keep in mind that Harris's $18.6 million salary could be used as a salary filler if the team wants to acquire a notable frontcourt player such as John Collins or Myles Turner. Alternatively, they could wait until the buyout market to add a center at a cheaper price.
Harris right now is averaging just 8.2 points and 1.8 threes per game. He is shooting just under 38 percent from beyond the arc. Those are his lowest numbers since the 2016-17 season.