The Brooklyn Nets are the final team in this series, so we’re going to finish it off with a bang by unloading some major San Antonio Spurs players.
This is it — the grande finale of the ‘One offseason trade with every team’ series in which we’ve found trade partners for the San Antonio Spurs throughout the league. Some of these deals have been in favor of a win-now scenario and others are in hopes of a rebuild. This ultimate trade against the Brooklyn Nets addresses both of those concerns.
The Brooklyn Nets’ window of opportunity isn’t very wide. That core that they’re building around featuring Kyrie, KD and DeAndre Jordan is going against some of the best competition in recent history and Durant’s former team is preparing for another run at the title next season. Coming off of an Achilles tear at 31-years-old is difficult, but Durant is still one of the greatest athletes of all-time and should at least be an All-Star despite any struggles he may have.
For the Spurs, this offseason provides a great opportunity to capitalize on trade assets and build something bright for the future instead of clinging to the now. There are some exciting, young players in Brooklyn who are on deals that the Nets probably don’t want to deal with as KD and Kyrie’s contracts overtake their roster. Therefore, they could be inclined to move those players for others who can help them compete for a championship next year before their deals expire in 2021.
Brace yourself because this is a big one!
The San Antonio Spurs trade LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan to the Brooklyn Nets for Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie and Taurean Prince.
Let’s start off with the easy part of it: Brooklyn is bringing in two All-Star caliber players to take some of the heat off of Kyrie and KD with LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan. Since Durant likely isn’t going to be a full-go through the early portion of the season, DeRozan can fill in as a ball-handler and bucket-getter while Aldridge spaces the floor with his shooting, protects the rim and generates extra possessions on the glass. Brooklyn already has a lot of solid players on cheap contracts to fill out their roster, so filling out a bench rotation shouldn’t be too difficult.
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Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs return an impressive wing in Caris LeVert who can alleviate the scoring load left behind by DeRozan. He serves as a secondary playmaker and a crafty defender who uses his quickness and instincts to force turnovers. LeVert instantly becomes one of the faces of the Spurs’ next-generation and helps them remain a playoff contender.
The same can be said for Spencer Dinwiddie, who’s having the best season of his career with Irving missing most of the year and DLo no longer taking the primary scoring load from the guard spot. Dinwiddie would most likely come off the bench in that Patty Mills role to get buckets and facilitate offense in the second unit.
Lastly, San Antonian Taurean Prince returns to the River City to be groomed by an organization that may help him reach his potential. In the long-run, I believe this deal helps both teams improve mightily.
You can find other articles in this series by clicking on the team name below:
Western Conference: LA Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies. Eastern Conference: Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Washington Wizards, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers.