What the Nets Actually Need at the Trade Deadline, and What They Don't

The Brooklyn Nets sit in an interesting position ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline, with the potential to be buyers or sellers.

There’s been periods of overachievement for Brooklyn so far this season in the form of a December stretch of winning play, and the potential All-Star case from Michael Porter Jr. Even still, they’re still well-positioned to grab one of the top prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft, with the fifth-worst record in the association.

Even though the Nets’ future plans are more draft-centric — having taken a record five first-round picks at the 2025 draft — several have predicted them to get in on deals this deadline. And it makes sense given their cap flexibility, and assets, both veteran and fresh.

Despite empty calls for Giannis Antetokounmpo, or other stars to add next to MPJ, the Nets need to be on the hunt for buy-lows and other developmental projects.

As detailed in Nets on SI’s trade deadline big board, Brooklyn should be checking in on cost-effective young players in search of a change of scenery. Players that won’t take much asset-wise to acquire, but could blossom and return 10 times the value.

Players such as Spurs' forward Jeremy Sochan, who's fallen completely out of the team's rotation, Ousmane Dieng, who's never been able to crack the Thunder's championship core, or several others who could use a boost in minutes in a low-pressure situation.

Additionally, the Nets could look to sell off its own players for value, given the price is right. Players such as Porter, Day'Ron Sharpe and Nicolas Claxton will be sought-after on the market, offering win-now players that could be needle-movers for potential contenders.

Even in doing this, the team has leverage. Brooklyn is careening toward its desired draft destination regardless of win-now players on its roster, and won't look to offload players without getting assets in return.

What Brooklyn shouldn’t do is go in for a big fish. They have the contracts, young players and, most importantly, the draft picks to acquire near-any available player in the league. But doing so would leave them barren, and likely still out of contention.

Even adding Antetokounmpo, one of the top two-way players in the league, would rank the Nets among the middle of the East after matching salary’s with the Bucks.

For now, they'll need to continue to be smart about transactions, gleaning maximum value from its own players — or simply hanging onto them — while smarly acquiring potential high-value young players.