The Brooklyn Nets have spent much of the weekend engaging in possible trade talks with other teams in an effort to get better quickly while being in the hunt for a solid playoff spot. After first making news with a possible Kris Humphries for Ben Gordon trade, the team is now actively pursuing forward Josh Smith from the Atlanta Hawks.
The Nets are looking to be aggressive as the Feb. 21 trade deadline quickly approaches. Having a win-now attitude, the team is looking to place another star athlete in the lineup as quickly as possible. It will take a lot of get Josh Smith away from Atlanta, considering he is the team's best player right now. The Nets are willing to give up Kris Humphries and second-year guard MarShon Brooks for Smith, but certainly it will take a lot more than just those to players to please the Hawks. Brooklyn could have to part with a first-round draft pick as well or get a third team involved.
While the Nets are still considering the possibility of trading Humphries for Charlotte's Ben Gordon, adding Smith to the lineup serves a great purpose as well. The 27-year old is averaging 16.9 points per game, with 8.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. He would help Brooklyn's defensive efforts this season.
Short-term, Smith fits into the Nets' picture perfectly. He can help them immediately this season and could set up possible trades in the future with a few other players on the team. Long-term might be another question. While Brooklyn has proved to be able to handle large contracts, Smith is set to become a free agent at the end of the season and is reportedly seeking a five-year contract worth more than $90 million. The Hawks must decide if they want to trade Smith at no cost before the deadline or keep him to attract another big player to the team for next season. Brooklyn could easily keep Smith until the end of the season and then tie him in on another trade before paying him a new contract.
As Feb. 21 approaches, the Nets, among other teams, will be grabbing at star athletes like Smith who will be due big money at the end of the season. While nothing has even begun to being finished, the initial trade-talks have begun with several teams. Having a star in Smith would be better than having Humphries continue to play a small role while being over-paid. Expect a trade with either Charlotte or Atlanta to be finalized soon enough.
