Report: Nets Clear Cap Space for Second Max Free Agent With Allen Crabbe Trade
The Nets are prepping for free agency and are clearing enough cap space to sign a second max free agent by trading Allen Crabbe, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reports.
Crabbe is owed $18.5 million next season in the last year of his contract. Brooklyn will reportedly send him to the Hawks, along with the No. 17 pick in the 2019 draft and a protected first-round pick in next year's draft in exchange for Taurean Prince and a 2021 second-round pick. The 2020 first rounder that the Nets are sending to Atlanta is lottery protected.
Brooklyn has already been rumored to be in the market for elite free agents like Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler. With this move, the team will be able to sign two of those guys this offseason. All-Star D'Angelo Russell is also a restricted free agent this summer and is expected to demand a max contract as well.
The Hawks would now own the Nos. 8, 10 and 17 picks in this month's draft, which could put them in position to trade up.
Last season, Crabbe started 20 of the 43 games he played for the Nets, who earned the six seed in the East to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015. He averaged 9.6 points and shot 37.8% from three.
Prince started 47 of the 55 games he played in Atlanta during his third NBA season and averaged 13.5 points while connecting on 39% of his attempts from distance.
