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After months of NBA trade rumors and speculation, the Brooklyn Nets threw in the kitchen sink to land James Harden. Supported by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, they now have the best trio in the league for the 2020-21 campaign. But this top-heavy approach has cost them their squad depth, particularly in the frontcourt.
Taurean Prince, Rodions Kurucs, and Jarrett Allen exited the franchise due to the trade, but it's the latter's departure that has left a gaping hole in the Brooklyn Nets' roster. They still have enough players to sort the backcourt but there's a serious dearth of options closer to the rim.
NBA Trade Rumors: Brooklyn Nets' need for centers
With DeAndre Jordan as the only true big man on the roster, the Brooklyn Nets are in serious need of centers. They recently signed Norvel Pelle but he needs to prove his worth. In the meantime, the Nets have been forced to play Jeff Green as the stretch five late in games and the result hasn't been pretty.
Now the Brooklyn Nets still have a couple of open roster spots and were recently granted a $5.7 million Disabled Player Exception (DPE) following the season-ending injury to Spencer Dinwiddie. They can use this to sign players on a one-year deal or trade for those on an expiring contract.
Let us now look at three big men the Brooklyn Nets can target.
#1 JaVale McGee
The LA Lakers traded JaVale McGee to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the offseason to make room for Marc Gasol. Now McGee may not have played an instrumental role in the Purple and Gold winning the NBA title but his physical presence and hustle underneath the rim do come in handy.
The three-time NBA Champion is slowly but surely getting phased out of the Cavs' rotation and didn't play in their last two games. In the little game time he's got, McGee has averaged eight points and 6.2 rebounds per game this season. He's also expanded his range and shot 36.4% from three.
McGee's likely to be available and his $4.2 million salary fits within the Brooklyn Nets' DPE. Most importantly, he'll bring championship pedigree and rim protection to the table for the Nets.
#2 Nerlens Noel
After two respectable years with OKC Thunder, Nerlens Noel was hopeful of finding greener pastures but ended up signing with New York Knicks on a one-year $5 million deal. Despite the rebuilding nature of the franchise, Noel has found minutes hard to come by.
An aggressive rim protector, Noel managed 7.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game for OKC last season in just 18.5 minutes off the bench. With the likes of Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and Obi Toppin ahead of him in head coach Tom Thibodeau's books, he'll likely be on his way out of New York.
The Brooklyn Nets can potentially take on him around the trade deadline without giving up much and fortify the interior defense for their second unit.
#3 Dewayne Dedmon
Arguably the cheapest option for the Brooklyn Nets, Dewayne Dedmon currently finds himself out of a contract after being waived by the Detroit Pistons earlier this year. Things haven't worked out for him since he signed a three-year $40 million deal with the Sacramento Kings at the start of the 2019-20 season.
Dedmon is still an able rebounder and rim protector even though his offensive game has waned. He managed 8.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks for Atlanta Hawks in 10 games after being traded to them midway through last campaign. He will be available on a minimum deal for the Brooklyn Nets and can split the minutes at the five with DeAndre Jordan.
Also read: 5 players the Denver Nuggets could target before the NBA trade deadline
Guess the Lakers players!
