Basketball

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Highly Conflicting’ as 4 Nets who could be traded in 2024 NBA offseason

Michael Mills

 

As the 2024 offseason approaches, the Brooklyn Nets are undergoing changes. With head coach Jordi Fernandez recently hired, general manager Sean Marks will start over after the team had its worst season since 2017–18 in an effort to assemble a successful team.
Now, let’s take a look at four Nets players who might be dealt this summer.

Cam Johnson

If Donovan Mitchell decides not to sign a contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer, Brooklyn is anticipated to be among the top trade suitors. As Ben Simmons’ contract is about to expire and Mikal Bridges is not available, Johnson’s $23.6 million contract would be the primary salary-filler in a Mitchell trade.

In 2023–24, Johnson fell short of expectations despite agreeing to a $94.5 million, four-year contract last summer. Despite battling ailments, the 28-year-old managed to average 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on 45/39/79 shooting splits over 58 games. The 6-foot-8 forward should still be useful to win-now teams despite his lackluster season. Over his last three seasons, he has hit 41% from three on 6.0 attempts per game.

Cam Thomas

This season, Thomas made his mark on the NBA landscape when he finally broke into Brooklyn’s rotation. With an average of 22.5 points per game on 44/36/86 shooting splits, the 22-year-old led the Nets in scoring. His scoring average from the previous season increased by 11.9 points, the biggest increase in the league.

But the Nets are rumored to be interested in reentering the star market, and potential trade partners will take note of Thomas’s impressive third-year jump. As a young player Cleveland could develop or trade to a third team for further draft compensation, the LSU product would probably be a constant in the Mitchell negotiations.

Regarding Thomas’s contract condition, there are more points to be made. The former first-round selection is eligible for an extension this summer and will reach the final year of his rookie contract next season. During Thomas’s first two seasons, the Nets declined to give him a rotation position, even after dealing Irving and Durant in the second half of 2022–2023 season. Whether Brooklyn believes his excellent shot creation offsets his defensive shortcomings is still up in the air.

Trading Thomas this summer before an extension would up the market to a wide range of bidders, given he is only expected to make $4.0 million next season. Teams could acquire his bird rights and match his salary in a trade, giving them the flexibility to go over the cap and sign him to a long-term deal.

Day’Ron Sharpe

Sharpe made an impression in the first half of 2023–24 after being given his first rotation position ever. Over his first 37 games, the 22-year-old averaged 7.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 16.0 minutes per game.

He is now second only to Andre Drummond in the NBA in terms of rebounding percentage, demonstrating his continuous dominance on the boards. Additionally, Sharpe demonstrated growth as a short-roll facilitator, recording a 13.4 assist percentage that, according to Cleaning The Glass, placed him in the 75th percentile of NBA big men. Similarly, his finishing is impressive; according to Basketball Reference, he shot a career-high 69 percent at the rim.

But a hyperextended knee midway through the season caused the North Carolina product to miss fifteen games, and by the conclusion of the season, his playing time had decreased. As rookie first-round pick Noah Clowney emerged in the rotation, Sharpe had multiple DNP-CDs in the final stretch of the game.

Sharpe, like Thomas, will be entering the last year of his rookie deal next year. Although Clowney appears to be a long-term frontcourt player and the Nets are expected to re-sign Nic Claxton, it is unknown if they would spend any of their 2025 cap room to re-sign Sharpe. After the most successful season of his brief NBA career, the center may be a sell-high possibility this summer if Brooklyn would rather use those riches elsewhere.

Dorian Finney-Smith

Ever since Brooklyn obtained him in a trading package for Kyrie Irving during the 2023 deadline, Finney-Smith has been a regular subject of trade rumors. But in the last two cycles of transactions, the Nets have managed to hang onto him. According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, they rejected two first-round selections for the seasoned forward in 2023, though it’s unknown what safeguards were included in the deal.

At this year’s deadline, the Nets were reportedly looking to trade Finney-Smith for the equivalent of two first-round picks. They were unable to come to an agreement, and it seems unlikely that they would be able to get that much money for the 31-year-old this summer.

Finney-Smith had a fantastic start to 2023–24, making 28 appearances and hitting 44.8 percent from three on 5.5 tries per game. He did, however, drop off significantly in the latter part of the season while dealing with ailments; he finished with an average of 8.4 points and 4.7 rebounds on 42/35/72 shooting splits.

Finney-Smith has a $14.4 million deal with a $15.4 million player option in 2025–2026. If his value continues to decline, this summer may be Brooklyn’s last opportunity to make a profit.

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