ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel believes most of Brooklyn's roster won't make it past February's trade deadline, but most of the roster is 26 or younger.
The Brooklyn Nets have been active in three of the past five trade deadlines, and ClutchPoints NBA reporter Brett Siegel believes they'll be active again this season.
That's a pretty bold proclamation, given most of Brooklyn's roster is 26 or younger. Julius Randle, Michael Porter Jr., Terance Mann and Moritz Wagner are the only Nets 28 or older.
General manager Sean Marks added eight players on rookie-scale contracts over the last two offseasons. Egor Dëmin is the headliner from last year's draft haul (aka the Flatbush Five), and Mikel Brown Jr. is the gem from this year's class.
Marks has the draft assets to make a blockbuster trade, but he's patient, waiting for the right opportunity. How quickly the youth develop determines when he parts with draft picks and other players to bolster the roster.
It's hard to make impactful trades when most of the roster is on small contracts, as over 10 Nets are making under $10 million.
Porter and Mann could be the likeliest trade candidates on the roster. The pair of veterans' contracts combine for $51.3 million (Porter at $40 million and Mann at $15.5 million).
That's enough salary to acquire a star player, especially paired with Brooklyn's haul of first-round picks attached to that package.
Porter is arguably one of the NBA's most coveted players. He's coming off a career season averaging 24.2 points on 36.3% from three; 41% from three before an All-Star snub left him unmotivated to improve.
The 6-foot-10 sharpshooter is the ultimate floor spacer for contending teams. Porter shot 39.5% or better in six of his seven seasons with the Denver Nuggets, benefiting from playing next to Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray.
The Golden State Warriors have reportedly headlined the Porter sweepstakes. They want a high-level scorer to alleviate the scoring pressure on franchise star Stephen Curry.
Mann's mid-sized contract could be moved on its own for an impact role player. He's under contract for one more season at $16 million and has been traded multiple times over the past year.
The Los Angeles Clippers traded him to the Atlanta Hawks during last year's trade deadline, several months after signing him to a three-year, $47 million contract extension. Atlanta then traded him and Drake Powell's draft rights to Brooklyn in last year's draft.
Brooklyn's veterans could be traded, but most of the roster seems unlikely. Most of the young players are competing for backup roles and fighting for their future in the organization.
