At his final presser, Avery Johnson said, “I really thought we were going to meet and talk about what was gonna start happening around Jan. 15 when we could make a couple of moves.”
January 15 is not coincidentally the date that Kris Humphries is trade eligible. With Deron Joe and Brook not being dealt unless there’s a major shakeup, and Gerald having 4 years on his deal, Humphries is the most likely big piece the Nets can deal to get better. With rules requiring salaries in trades to match, the Nets have to deal a high salary player to bring in another, which necessitates a Humphries trade to bring back significant value.
A Humphries deal could help the Nets’ trade partner under the new CBA, which is tough on teams that spend significant money on player contracts. Teams that go over the luxury tax in consecutive years pay large repeater taxes to the NBA. The new CBA is tough: it cost the Thunder Harden and the Knicks Lin. I explain the new CBA in depth here: http://www.nbasources.com/2012/07/explaining-new-cba.html.
With Prokhorov’s billions, the Nets can take advantage of teams looking to cut salary to survive under the CBA, and become buyers in a major way. With that in mind here are some trade ideas:
1) Humphries for Bargnani and Kleiza: Bargnani is a woeful defender and rebounder and Avery liked playing more rugged 4’s next to Brook but Avery is gone. Bargnani would give Deron a solid 4 to play pick and roll with, and Kleiza would give the Nets more depth on the wing. Toronto would save over $12.6 million over the next two years with the deal as they develop Ed Davis.
2) Humphries Brooks and Toko for Carlos Boozer: Chicago is in the tax the next 2 seasons. Having committed to Taj Gibson, they could amnesty Boozer but trading him means not paying him: this deal saves Chicago over $18 million. This becomes more likely if Rose recovers slowly from his ACL tear. Pairing Deron with his Utah pick and roll partner would be a coup for the Nets.
3) Humphries for Ersan Ilyasova and Drew Gooden: This deal would save the Bucks over $25 million over 4 years. The Bucks are in the playoff hunt but locked into a middling future with this core. They may decide to build around Jennings and Ellis, but undergo a major shakeup around them and this trade cuts 2 long term deals Scott Skiles is not enamored with.
4) Humphries Brooks and Taylor for David West, Gerald Green, and Ian Mahinmi: David West would be a home run target if the Pacers believe he won’t resign, though this is a longshot. The Nets would bring back Green and the excitement he brought last year, and help the Pacers shave the $15 million they owe him and Mahinmi the next two seasons off their payroll.
5) Humphries for Nene: this is one of the more likely options out there. Nene is injury prone but a proven 4 for Deron to operate with while the Wizards save $28 million over 4 years. At 4-24, owing Nene $52 million over 4 years is not helping their cause.
6) Humphries for Paul Millsap and Raja Bell: Utah is committed to building around Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, and Gordon Hayward. If they believe they will lose Millsap for nothing this deal would be a steal for the Nets while providing the Jazz a nice reserve big.
7) Humphries Brooks and Taylor for Cousins and Salmons: If the Kings look to dump Cousins (though ownership currently supports him), the Nets should take a chance on him if the price is right. The price is right here.
What do you all think? Let us know in the comments section!
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