On this site, I have looked at Nets free agency and trade options with every East team, except the Hornets and Magic.
Now, I complete our look at the East.
Free Agency:
Nicolas Batum: The Hornets have loved having Batum and, after a down season in Portland, he has rebounded and some. The Hornets will make a handsome offer to Batum to keep him, so the Nets are fighting an uphill battle, but they should definitely try to add a wing of his caliber. He is not a star, but is a great 3rd or 4th starter on a contender — as we saw in Portland.
Evan Fournier: Fournier is having a very good season on the wing for the Magic. But with Vucevic, Harris, Payton, Oladipo as a core going forward, there is only so much money to go around, and even with all those pieces the Magic sit at 23-29. They cannot keep all of this youth around: they need to either consolidate it via trade for a big name, or let some of it go and sign a big name. Fournier could be one of the odd men out. Orlando may match an offer to retain control, as he is a restricted free agent, but as far as obtainable restricted free agents go, he is near the top of that list.
Jeremy Lin: Lin generates remarkably polarizing opinions. He made history as an Asian American player bursting onto the scene. That history for some bred love, for others bred resentment. If one forgets about all of that, and just looks at the basketball player wearing number 7 for the Hornets, what they will see is a smart basketball player, who is useful as a low end starter, or in a sixth man role, as a playmaker and talented runner of an NBA offense. A quality, useful 5th-6th man on an NBA team. Lin has a $2.2 million player option he absolutely should decline. The Nets face an uphill battle if Lin does not want to go back to NY City.
Marvin Williams: He has always been a punchline due to being drafted ahead of Chris Paul, but when you look at him through the lens of who he is, rather than who he was picked ahead of, he is a useful hybrid 3-4 who can shoot the 3 and fit in defensively with a playoff team. He is similar to Lin in regards to the prism of analysis affecting his perceived value. Williams is unlikely to devote the second half of his career to a team on the wrong side of .500 like the Nets, but he is worth a look.
Andrew Nicholson: Nicholson, a mid round first in 2012, is yet to find his real NBA niche, but has some small ball four potential if he can continue shooting the 3 well: he is only taking 2 attempts per game but that is a career high, as is his 35% clip. If the Nets can get him economically, he may be worth a look. He will be restricted if Orlando extends a qualifying offer, but Orlando has other priorities this summer.
Al Jefferson: Injuries have finally caught up to Jefferson, who is the worst he has been in a good nine years. There are teams who can use Jefferson as an extra boost to their current contention. The Nets should not look at players on this side of their career arcs.
PJ Hairston: Hairston is a decent reserve wing who, despite his youth, was given up on by the Hornets. Hairston has some potential down the road, and may be a worthy gamble for Brooklyn. He certainly will only command a low number, and the Nets need young players with upside, anyway they can find them.
Dewaye Dedmon: Dedmon could be a quietly good addition to the Nets bench. He grabs 14 rebounds per 40 minutes, and may be able to find a niche as a 4th or 5th big, just in games to rebound. The Magic may decline making a qualifying offer, which would make him an unrestricted free agent.
Brian Roberts: Roberts is a useful fourth or possibly fifth guard on a team. The Nets can look at him on a minimum deal this summer, although that is a downgrade for him salary wise.
Troy Daniels: Daniels is a fringe NBA player whom is a restricted free agent, if the Hornets make a qualifying offer, which is doubtful. He is likely to be someone the Nets do not target.
Jason Smith: Smith can hit his midrange jumper and is a decent reserve big. However, he is also the definition of a dime a dozen player. He wouldn’t hurt off the Nets bench, but is not exactly a priority either.
Tyler Hansbrough: Hansbrough is a limited role player struggling for playing time with the Hornets. Players like Hansbrough, when you’re contending or close and need a player to fill a role, are readily available.
Aaron Harrison: Harrison is a second rounder on whom the Hornets have a $875,000 team option they may exercise, to give him another year to develop. Little is exciting for the Nets here.
Devyn Marble: The Magic have a $980,000 team option but Marble is in and out of the D League, and unlikely to generate much market interest.
Keith Appling: Appling is in Orlando on a ten day contract, and may be out of the NBA after this season. He is a fringe NBA player.
Trades:
-Channing Frye and Evan Fournier for Bojan Bogdanovic and Jarrett Jack: If the Magic know they will not match an offer on Fournier, they can do a deal like this to get a young piece in return, as well as use it as an opportunity to ditch Frye’s bad contract.
-Brook Lopez for Cody Zeller, PJ Hairston, and Al Jefferson: Jefferson has little left; this deal would be about getting younger, and, for the Hornets, trying to insert a player to augment their core. The Nets could try to push here for a first or multiple seconds
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