NBA Trade Rumors: Could the Brooklyn Nets emerged as a dark horse sleeper to make a big move for Dejounte Murray ahead of the trade deadline?
Heading into the NBA Trade Deadline window, there are more than a few middling teams around the league that will have to make the distinction between buyers and sellers. The Brooklyn Nets happen to be one of those teams as they currently sit with a 16-23 record and 10th in the Eastern Conference standings.
Piecing together some recent reporting around the Nets, there's an argument to be made that they could perhaps emerge as a dark horse sleeper to land Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta is seemingly ready to move on from Murray and is reportedly asking for two first-round picks.
No interested teams have been willing to meet that asking price from the Hawks yet, but the Nets, with plenty of draft capital, are reportedly taking calls and open for business. Murray would theoretically be a good fit on Brooklyn's young core and could be a helpful supporting piece for what the Nets are building.
Of course, the big question is whether the Nets will be buyers or sellers at the deadline. That will ultimately tell us how whether they could be targeting a player like Murray or not. Either way, at least for now, it's something to keep an eye on as the market for Murray remains roughly stale.
How should the Brooklyn Nets approach the NBA Trade Deadline?
The Nets have had a relatively benign season. They haven't been great but they also haven't been horrible. They're a team stuck in the middle and while they have a solid young quartet between Cam Thomas, Cameron Johnson, Nic Claxton, and Mikal Bridges, this is a team that very much remains a big move away from emerging as a true contender in the Eastern Conference.
Could Murray be that piece that helps them make a big move up the Eastern Conference standings next season? That remains to be seen. But at least on paper, Murray could represent a cheap option that may be worth the gamble for a team like the Nets.
A potential move for Murray would make even more sense if the market for Murray doesn't develop as perhaps the Hawks believe it will in the next few weeks leading up to the trade deadline. The Nets are certainly a team to keep an eye on as it pertains to Murray.