Nets Could Target All-Star PG in Trade

The Brooklyn Nets need someone to build around.

Mar 10, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) rebounds in the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Brooklyn Nets lack that true franchise player at the moment, and while they could wait a year or two for that person to come through the draft, they could also seek a trade for one.

Bleacher Report writer Greg Swartz suggests that the team could trade for Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland.

"The now-rebuilding Brooklyn Nets don't have a point guard under contract past this season, as both Dennis Schröder and Ben Simmons will see their deals expire next summer. Both are too old to be foundational pieces moving forward, anyways," Swartz writes. "Garland, 24, has four years remaining on his deal and could thrive in a bigger offensive role next to Cam Thomas in Brooklyn. The year before the Cavs traded for Donovan Mitchell, Garland was an All-Star who averaged 21.7 points and 8.6 assists per game."

Garland is the third-best player on a contending Cavs squad now, and that likely is pretty close to what his ceiling is. Maybe one day he could emerge to become the No. 2 option, but for now, he is just an elite role player for Cleveland.

That role would change in Brooklyn, and perhaps the Nets could unlock some potential that would allow him to grow more as a creator and a player so that when he hits free agency in his late 20's, he can make the maximum.

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