Why The Brooklyn Nets Do The Deal 

The Nets do this deal if they feel they’ve got a contender with Lillard on the squad. 

They probably should. Lillard has never been surrounded by this much spacing and defense in his career. Meanwhile, he’s just had one of his best statistical seasons ever. This should work. 

The Nets would need it to work. After all, this team doesn’t own its own draft capital moving forward. They owe their first-round picks, whether outright or via swap, to the Houston Rockets through to 2027. 

With that in mind, they might as well compete. In a sense, this deal has them flipping Kevin Durant for Lillard, Bridges and Cam Johnson. That’s pretty sensible in the aggregate. 

NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers & Brooklyn Nets Updates 

If nothing else, it has them choosing a clear direction.