With over 20 games of the 2023-24 NBA season already in the books, we can start to take a look at the Brooklyn Nets trade deadline. As you've seen so far, there haven't been a lot of trade rumors surrounding the Brooklyn Nets this early in the season, but that should change dramatically as we head into February.
Joe Tsai and Sean Marks lost one battle, but not the war. They didn't get as much as they wanted from Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, and Ben Simmons looks like damaged goods now more than ever. But the team still has strong assets that can be built upon and form a competitive team for years to come.
With that in mind, let's talk about why the Nets need to be more competitive now than ever, and why they should make the most of a potential cheap sale from the Toronto Raptors to get their hands on Pascal Siakam and never let him go. .
Why do the Nets need to compete now?
When the Nets assembled their Big Three, they were hoping to get one of the best small forwards in NBA history along with two of the most talented scorers of all-time. Instead, all they get is PR nightmares and never-ending drama. Oh, and significant debt in terms of project capital.
Simply put, the Houston Rockets control their draft for years to come. This rules out any incentive to tank, as the Rockets could simply trade their most valuable pick to them. That's why they need to make sure, at the very least, that they have a better record than the Houston Rockets.
However, Ime Udoka's team is not making things easy for them. They've overcome a slow start to the season and have been extremely solid over the last month or so, so Jacques Vaughn and company will need to be at their best to make sure the former Nets assistant coach doesn't have the last laugh.
Why do they need Pascal Siakam?
Pascal Siakam's name probably won't appear in most Brooklyn Nets 2024 trade news, but he's what they need right now. They have a fairly strong start, but their strength forward is their weakest link with Cam Johnson.
Johnson is a top shooter with impressive length, but he has proven better suited coming off the bench rather than as a starter. Also, the Nets lack scoring ability in the second unit, and Johnson could be their offensive catalyst and an instant spark off the bench, just as they hoped Cam Thomas would be.
Siakam is probably the best two-way player they can realistically get, with OG Anunoby likely to demand a greater trade return. He would give them a powerful punch next to Nick Claxton, and the Nets would have one of the best defensive frontcourts in the game with those two and Mikal Bridges rounding things out.
The Nets don't have the best point guard position, and that's another thing they can address. Then again, Coach Vaughn often features multiple players handling the ball, and Siakam is an elite prospect for a guy his size. He won't be in charge of the offense or play-action like Jokic or anything, but it will give them another player who can handle the ball to play.
This team is still a long way from making some noise, but if Cam Thomas can return to his early-season form and put up 25+ a night, they'll just need another defensive anchor alongside him to at least make sure they get there. playoffs, and trading for Siakam would put them that much closer to that goal.
