Mock Trade: Brooklyn Nets Get a Young Playmaker

The Brooklyn Nets don't have a lot of options to shake up their roster going into the offseason. With little cap space to bring in any new players, and zero draft picks in 2024, the Nets can only move pieces via trade.

With that being said, plenty of players are likely to be moved from other teams, and the Nets have some holes to fill. Perhaps the biggest was the lack of a real playmaker. Brooklyn finished 20th in assists per game (25.6), 19th in assists-to-turnover ratio (1.95), and 23rd in offensive rating (112.4). With great wing scorers like Cam Thomas and Mikal Bridges, the biggest need for the Nets is a point guard to create opportunities for others.

It's also worth noting that Bridges has been in plenty of trade rumors for young assets, pushing the Nets toward a rebuild. The emphasis has to be on a young guard with potential, as the organization doesn't need another role player.

Josh Giddey recently finished up his first playoff run with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and it looks like he's as good as gone this summer. The Australian guard/forward averaged 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists this past season, but people forget that in his first two seasons, he averaged 6.4 and 6.2 assists respectively, even with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander running the point. Not to mention, Giddey averaged 16.6 points in 2023 on 48.2% shooting, showing he can also score the basketball efficiently.

At just 21 years old, Giddey has the potential to be a great playmaker and a Swiss Army Knife for an NBA team, if given the right opportunity. With the Thunder having such a deep roster and each player having a specific role, there was no room for Giddey to be effective.

The Nets could use Giddey's service and pair him with Thomas at the one and two. What would the Thunder want in return? Rebounding, and Brooklyn has exactly what they need.

Nic Claxton is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and although it may be a priority for the Nets to re-sign him, he has the freedom to go to a winning team, which is likely the case. Teams like Golden State, Orlando, and Memphis will make a heavy run at the former Georgia Bulldog for his defense and rebounding. If the Nets know they can't retain, they certainly wouldn't want to lose him for nothing. Because Brooklyn has bird rights, a sign-and-trade with Oklahoma City is feasible. OKC has the cap space to take Claxton's new contract, and the Nets can afford Giddey's $8.3 million salary for the 2024-25 season.

Nets receive: Josh Giddey, 2024 first-round pick (12th overall via Houston)

Thunder receive: Nic Claxton (sign-and-trade), Dennis Schroder, 2026 second-round pick

This gives both sides exactly what they need. The Nets get Giddey along with the 12th pick in the upcoming draft. Despite it being seen as a weaker class, Brooklyn gets draft capital that they can use to replace Clax at the center position. One of the biggest parts of this deal is the Nets shaving $21.2 million in salary cap, giving them so much more flexibility to sign players.

As for the Thunder, they get a tenacious young rebounder in Claxton, along with the services of a solid role player in Dennis Schroder. Schroder's stats were a bit inflated after being dealt to Brooklyn, so it's likely he'd be given limited minutes as a bench player. On top of that, OKC loses $4.6 million in cap space before Claxton's new contract kicks in, which means that number will likely go higher. However, at 25 he is a double-double player while averaging 2.1 blocks this past season.

In short, the Nets get a playmaker and a young draft pick, taking another solid step in their rebuild, while the Thunder fill their rebounding hole and get another role player for depth, taking another solid step toward contention. It's a win-win.

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Nets on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Nets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.