NBA Rumors: Nets Could Use Caris LeVert As Main Trade Chip To Acquire ‘Bankable Star Power,’ Per ‘ESPN’
After the successful acquisition of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and DeAndre Jordan in the 2019 NBA free agency, the Brooklyn Nets have managed to turn themselves from a mediocre team to a legitimate title contender in the Eastern Conference. However, with Durant expected to miss most of the 2019-20 NBA season due to injury, the Nets are not considered as title favorites compared to other powerhouse teams in the Eastern Conference like the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers.
If they want to boost their chance of bringing home the Larry O’Brien Trophy next season, Zach Lowe of ESPN suggested that the Nets should seek more “bankable star power.” Though all the big names on the free agency market have already found a new home, there are still plenty of players who are expected to be moved before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline. Unlike most legitimate title contenders, the Nets have a plethora of trade assets to engage in a blockbuster deal and add another superstar on their roster.
If he shows improvement with his performance in the 2019-20 NBA season, Lowe believes that the Nets could use Caris LeVert as the main trade chip to acquire “bankable star power.”
“Brooklyn is different. The Nets have a bundle of young players and a cupboard full of picks. Durant is recovering from an Achilles tear. Depending on your taste (and your proximity to Boston), Irving is something like the 15th-best player in the league — not on the “all-time” level, and a notch below both Clippers. The Nets might want more bankable star power. They could have two first-rounders in the 2020 draft. They just signed Caris LeVert to a three-year, $52 million extension that came in lower than most executives expected. If he improves, LeVert on that deal is a trade asset.”
Caris LeVert on competing for a title this year: ‘That’s the goal’ https://t.co/zI7GEw7JfY pic.twitter.com/q2nPu4VQVa
— NetsDaily (@NetsDaily) September 2, 2019
Caris LeVert has displayed lots of superstar potential from the time he set foot in the NBA. Since he was drafted as the No. 20 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, LeVert continues to show improvement with his performance on both ends of the floor. Last season, the 25-year-old shooting guard averaged 13.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 42.9 percent from the field, and 31.2 percent from beyond the arc.
Once the Nets officially make Caris LeVert available on the trading block, they are expected to receive calls from NBA teams who are likely headed into an inevitable rebuild, like the Washington Wizards. Adding multiple future draft picks in a trade package centered on LeVert could be enough to convince the Wizards to send All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal to Brooklyn.
