Three Players the Brooklyn Nets Could Seek at NBA Trade Deadline

The Brooklyn Nets provide one of the more unique situations in the association.

Having kicked off a fresh rebuild this season — and now owning a share of the fifth-worst record in the entire league — Brooklyn is cruising towards one of the top picks in the 2025 NBA Draft. But remains vigilant in its search for a superstar on the NBA trade market, too.

With that in mind, the team could preemptively add project players that could fit the timeline of ending the rebuild sooner rather than later. Here are three players Brooklyn could target in a trade this deadline:

Cam Whitmore, Rockets

Drafted at No. 20 in the 2023 NBA Draft after a night-of slide, Whitmore’s had a tumultuous time in Houston so far. He showed obvious talent on the wing at Villanova, packing athleticism and scoring prowess in a stocky frame, but has yet to fully find his groove with the Rockets.

He saw over 12 points on 45% shooting in his debut season, but saw a slow start in Year 2, even being sent to the G League. He’s played well of late, but there’s no guarantee Houston will be able to continue to give him minutes when the roster is healthy, and he’s been noticeably unhappy with his sporadic time.

Whitmore would be less of a reclamation project for Brooklyn, but more of a blank slate with much-needed minutes for him to develop. He’d immediately double his playing time with the Nets, and could be free to work on his offensive game for the remainder of the season.

If given adequate time, he’d likely turn into a starting-caliber wing.

Nikola Topic, Thunder

Taken No. 12 in the most recent draft, Serbian guard Nikola Topic was a top-five prospect per most experts prior to a knee injury that’s kept him sidelined the entire season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been the template for developing players in recent years, and they added Topic as a project in hopes he can turn into yet another do-it-all guard for its talented rotation.

It’s no secret OKC is one of the better teams in the league, but has the ability to upgrade with so many future draft assets and young players, a rare situation for most contenders. Brooklyn has a number of win-now players its likely looking to offload, leading many to believe an deal with the Thunder could be on the horizon.

If the Nets were able to add Topic in a deal, they’d get one of the higher ceiling players from the entire ’24 draft. At a lengthy 6-foot-6, he was one of the better passers in the class, and has sneaky athleticism that lets him cruise around the court as a handler.

Topic would be a premier add for any rebuilding team in terms of his potential.

Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors

The Warriors and Nets have already made a deal this season, but it’s not off the table they continue to talk about a trade surrounding forwards Jonathan Kuminga and Cam Johnson.

One of the more physically imposing wings in the entire league, Jonathan Kuminga has long been on radars as a potential breakout candidate, but has never quite solved the puzzle in Golden State. He’s been able to averaged just under 17 points on 46% shooting so far this year, but it still feels like he’s only scratching the surface of what he can be, and remains a bit of an awkward fit in a high-feel Warriors core.

A Kuminga-Johnson swap makes sense on a variety of levels, as Brooklyn could hand the former G League Ignite standout the keys to the team, allowing him to function as a No. 1 option for the foreseeable future. And Golden State would add a much better on-paper fit in Johnson.

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