Five players the Nets should target before the trade deadline

With only a few days until the deadline, let’s take a look at the best Nets trade targets.

Fresh off from their recent signing of six-time All-Star Blake Griffin, the Brooklyn Nets continue to increase the star power in their roster. They are just a half-game below the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers, and there’s no reason to doubt that the Nets will eventually take the coveted homecourt advantage in the East before the playoff starts in May.

Still, they have some weaknesses to cover in their line-up. They are still looking for a staple lockdown defender on the perimeter, having auditioned Andre Roberson and Iman Shumpert for the position.

Nets trade targets: Options for Brooklyn ahead of trade deadline

Reports have it that they are interested in acquiring buyout candidate Andre Drummond to shore up their frontline and help them match up with Joel Embiid.

With that said, let’s look at the five quality role players that the Nets should target before the trade deadline.

Garrett Temple

After their respective auditions with the team, both Iman Shumpert and Andre Roberson are no longer with the Nets. This just means that the Nets are still in the market for a versatile defender who can guard all three perimeter positions.

So how about making a move to acquire Garrett Temple from the Chicago Bulls?

Temple is still a highly-coveted glue guy, and although he will not defend the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo or LeBron James straight up, the instincts that come with his defensive skills help cover bases. The tricky thing here is that Temple is still a consistent rotational piece for the Bulls, so it might be hard to pry him away from that team.

Avery Bradley

At this point, even if he becomes fully-healthy, Avery Bradley will find it difficult to carve a niche in the Miami Heat’s rotation. The veteran guard has only appeared in 10 games for the Heat this season, and other playoff contenders are already expressing interest in his services.

With his recent injuries, the Nets won’t have to sacrifice multiple assets to nab Bradley from the Heat. Bradley can bring in his defense-oriented skills to Brooklyn, along with his three-point shooting, which has been consistent so far this season (42%).

JaVale McGee

Lost in the Nets-Drummond potential partnership speculations is the possibility that the team could also trade for JaVale McGee. I really don’t understand why McGee is still with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and I expect him to gain significant interest from other teams before the trade deadline.

McGee is an excellent rim protector, and he does position himself well on offense. There’s no doubt that he’ll be a low-risk, high-reward addition for the Nets.

Robin Lopez

Another big man that the Nets could trade for is Robin Lopez from the Washington Wizards. Lopez is not the high-level rim protector that McGee is, but he knows a thing or two in defending the paint.

In 20.3 minutes per game for the Wizards, the 32-year old Lopez is tallying 8.2 points and 4.2 rebounds this season.

Thaddeus Young

Just like Temple, Thaddeus Young has been the perfect role player for the Bulls. He plays the small-ball center role in closing out games, and he is producing all-around numbers, including a career-high 4.4 assists per contest.

On top of that, it will be Young’s Swiss Knife defensive skills that the Nets will covet the most. Young will be a solid addition to the Nets, and the team might even agree to part ways with Spencer Dinwiddie if they have to.

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