How This Deal Impacts Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets have shown no interest in working out a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers to this point. Recent reports state that Los Angeles made their two first-round picks available, but Brooklyn still wasn’t interested.

But, this is the best they are going to do in any trade involving Kyrie Irving. His value is very low around the league, so having the chance to receive not only two first-round picks but a player with upside such as Talen Horton-Tucker seems like a no-brainer.

The Nets likely don’t want to appease Irving and send him to the team that he wants to play on, but at some point, they have to consider what is best for the franchise. Recouping two future first-round picks after trading away so many in recent years should be considered a win.

Brooklyn is also moving on from the two years and 38.5 million remaining on the contract of Joe Harris. He is someone that they have previously shopped and would rather include in a deal than Seth Curry.

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The sticking point is likely Russell Westbrook. Any deal involving Irving has to include him unless a third team gets involved. There is no real use for him on the roster as they already have a non-shooting playmaker in Ben Simmons, who is light years ahead of Westbrook defensively.

The Nets could take Westbrook on and just send him home, allowing his contract to expire. He is on an expiring deal, so he could be flipped at the deadline to a team looking to clear cap space to acquire more assets. Or, they could use him as part of their backcourt rotation.