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Michael Porter Jr. #17 of the Brooklyn Nets is the subject of NBA trade rumors.
If there is a team that has gone surprisingly silent in the days now leading up to the NBA trade deadline, it is the Brooklyn Nets. There has been plenty of chatter in the months leading up to this week about Nets players, especially Michael Porter Jr., the star forward who is having a breakout year as a No. 1 option. The Nets were roundly criticized for getting only one first-round pick (in 2032) from the Nuggets in the deal for Cam Johnson last summer.
But Porter has played so well that the Nets are sure to get another first-rounder–and maybe more. That’s also exactly why they’re not all that active here at the deadline.
The Nets have assets, and it is possible they could move some, including Porter, center Nicolas Claxton, wings Terance Mann or Cam Thomas and big man Day’Ron Sharpe. Several teams have inquired with the Nets about trading for Porter–the Lakers, Pistons and Warriors were among them, earlier–but they’re not in a hurry to do so.
The Pacers are a team interested in Claxton and/or Sharpe.
“The Nets would be perfectly fine letting this trade deadline go with Porter still on the roster and seeing if they can get two first-rounders next summer,” one Eastern Conference GM said. “They can be patient. They’re bad with him (12-34) so it is not like they need to trade him to tank. Everything else is just collecting assets, using their cap space to fill a spot and take on a pick.”
NBA Trade Rumors: Nets Could Land Giannis Antetokounmpo
The one big exception for the Nets is the big exception for everyone on the NBA trade rumor market, of course: Giannis Antetokounmpo. There is a scurry on to make trade offers for the Bucks star, now that Milwaukee is willing to trade him, but there’s also a concern among teams that the Bucks will put off the process until this summer.
They would choose to do that for the same reason that the Nets would wait on Porter–it gives teams a chance to reset their draft picks and their books, and thus have a chance to make better offers. Of course, teams looking to trade for Antetokounmpo want clarity sooner rather than later, to set their 2026-27 aprons and hard caps.
Oh, and to work out their own books going forward, too. The team that trades for Antetokounmpo will need to know what his intentions are going forward, as he is signed for 2026-27 with an option on 2027-28.
The Nets are among the teams in on Antetokounmpo, as well as the Heat, the Knicks and Warriors, with longshot bids coming from Toronto and Minnesota. There are more, of course, but again, Milwaukee could still put it all off until June.
GettyGiannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks
Lakers-Cavs Deal May Prove Too Difficult
So what about the Lakers? They would be a very, very long shot for Antetokounmpo unless, as previously discussed, they somehow found a deal for LeBron James, either to the Warriors or to the Knicks. Very long shot.
But the Lakers have had discussions, reported by Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, involving DeAndre Hunter, who reported a framework that would include Rui Hachimura and Dalton Knecht. He also noted that a third team would be required, but be warned–it’s still a very tight needle to thread because both teams are dealing with apron issues.
“They like Hunter but a lot of teams do and it’s just too hard to do something with Cleveland because they’re hard-capped,” the GM said. “You can work on ways to maybe get it done but they’ve got a lot of irons in the fire, everyone does and that’s a tough one to get finished.”
Celtics, Pacers, Bulls NBA Trade Rumors
The Celtics might end up selling off Chris Boucher at the trade deadline, but may not get much else done. They do not want to sacrifice first-round picks, and they do not want to take on additional salary, which has always put rumors about Boston getting a starting-caliber big man on thin ice.
The Pacers are gathering up offers on Bennedict Mathurin and hoping to wring a first-round pick for him. Mathurin is heading into restricted free agency, and the Pacers are hoping to cash out on him before having to deal with that process. He’s averaging 17.6 points and shooting 37.9% from the 3-point line this year.
The Bulls are simultaneously sellers and buyers at the deadline. They’d like to move Nikola Vucevic and Coby White in the next week, but are not necessarily looking for draft picks in return. “They want to get better, they’ve been telling people,” one NBA source said. “Whoever they send out, they want someone who is going to help them now in return.”
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
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