The Brooklyn Nets swooped in arguably the biggest package of stars in the offseason after landing All-NBA point guard Kyrie Irving, former MVP Kevin Durant and All-Defensive Team stalwart DeAndre Jordan. In just one momentous summer, the Nets have completed a four-year rebuild that saw them transform from perennial Eastern Conference cellar-dwellers to now legit championship contenders.
The scary part is that Brooklyn can even become more dangerous with all the trade assets they have in their stash. NBA Sr. Writer Zach Lowe of ESPN believed Brooklyn is very much capable of shifting the balance of power in the NBA anew with another blockbuster trade for a bona fide star.
Caris Levert, who signed a three-year, $52.2 million extension, is also going to be a key component in the Nets’ pursuit for another star next to Irving and Durant, according to Lowe. “Brooklyn is different. The Nets have a bundle of young players and a cupboard full of picks…The Nets might want more bankable star power,” Lowe wrote on ESPN.
So, who really fits the bill as Brooklyn’s third star? The Nets have a lot of options.
Devin Booker
Booker’s five-year, $158 million contract extension will just start kicking in this coming season. However, it’s safe to say his long-term future with the Phoenix Suns is far from secured. In an era of player-empowerment, Booker is a trade request away from ending up with another team. Brooklyn figures to be an ideal destination for this budding star, as it can offer him the opportunity to win now and an avenue to earn more money in a huge New York market.
Jimmy Butler
Another newly-signed star, Butler looks to make the Miami Heat relevant again, at least in the East. But the absence of an All-Star caliber running mate would make the task harder. Of course, Pat Riley is going to try bringing him that complementary star, but if he does not deliver, then expect a combustible environment to erupt. Butler is a high-maintenance player who abhors losing. The Nets, his other choice this summer, could pique his interest, especially if they prove to be winners.
Bradley Beal
The All-Star sniper hasn’t yet signed a contract extension with the Washington Wizards, putting more pressure on the front-office to improve the talents around him. The problem is John Wall, his Wizards’ co-star, is projected to miss the entire 2019-20 season due to an Achilles injury. With no clear-cut star next to him, Bradley is in for another disappointing season. That doesn’t bode well for Washington. A trade request could be on horizon.
Kevin Love
In need of a reliable stretch four? Love might be the answer. The former UCLA standout has been oft-injured these past three seasons, but he’s still an All-Star caliber player who can easily drop 20-10 on any given night. Sure, he’s quite overpaid ($120 million over four years) and already turned 31 this September. Still, there’s no question the Nets can still get a good four-year run out of Love.
James Harden
No doubt this is fantasy-esque, but crazier things happened before. Harden is entering a win or bust window with the Houston Rockets. The race to the title has never been this wide-open in the last five years, and this could be the year when the Rockets finally come out of the West. On the flipside, Harden’s reunion with Russell Westbrook may lead to more frustrations. And everybody knows what stars do when they get tired of losing: they ask for a trade.
