Historically, as Keith Smith of Spotrac pointed out Tuesday, this is the quiet before the storm.
Monday is usually pretty quiet. Teams are generally still holding to "We need two firsts" while being offered two seconds.
Tuesday (today) chatter picks up and we might get a deal.
Wednesday things really pick up and we could see a couple of deals.
Thursday gets really busy. https://t.co/JWwRjZP5uI— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) February 6, 2024
Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks in their podcast recorded Monday night also lamented how slow things are, with Woj suggesting we might see one trade on Tuesday, a couple more on Wednesday, “then 17 on Thursday” beginning around 11:30 a.m. ET Wednesday, three and a half hours before the deadline at 3:00 p.m. ET
Their reasoning is not just that no superstars are available, but also that one coin of the realm in trade talks, draft picks, has been devalued because of the poor 2024 NBA Draft. There’s not a lot of market for picks when teams gather in Brooklyn this June, unlike previous years. The two also agree that the Heat success last season going from the play-in to the Finals — have many teams believing that they can do the same thing his year. So instead of selling to improve themselves long-term, they’re thinking buy, buy, buy. Woj added that as a result the most likely trades will be on players who are seventh through ninth in teams’ respective rotations.
All that said, there are some rumors, but there seems little that point to anything imminent with Brooklyn. However, in each case, Dorian Finney-Smith seems to be the player most likely moved … if rumors are any indication.
Ian Begley of SNY had two rumors Tuesday morning as he laid out the Nets deadline picture, one re Dorian FInney-Smith, the other Nic Claxton.
As the Nets get closer to Thursday’s trade deadline, it’s worth noting that Milwaukee had continued to show strong interest in Dorian Finney-Smith as of late last week. The Bucks’ interest was initially reported by the New York Post. Finney-Smith is under contract through next season with a player option in 2025-26. So Brooklyn is not under pressure to move him by the deadline.
Indeed, DFS is owed nearly $30 million through 2025-26 if he exercises that option.
Like others, Begley also reports it would take a huge offer to separate the Nets from Nic Claxton who is an unrestricted free agent this summer but continues to say how much he likes Brooklyn.
A report recently suggested that Brooklyn would make Nic Claxton available prior to the trade deadline. I can say confidently that a team would have to blow the Nets away to acquire Claxton.
Per sources familiar with the matter, the Nets want Claxton on the team for the foreseeable future and will be aggressive in trying to re-sign him this summer. They will probably have competition from the small number of teams with cap space. But the Nets are not looking to shop Claxton ahead of the deadline.
Mike Scotto on Hoopshype reiterated what he said on YES Network Monday night, that the Nets don’t want a low first round pick for DFS and don’t want a pick in this year’s draft either.
As noted during a guest appearance on YES Network, the Nets are not interested in a late first-round pick nor a pick in the 2024 NBA Draft in any trade talks for Finney-Smith, league sources told HoopsHype. For Brooklyn to consider trading Finney-Smith, it would take a future first-round pick starting in 2025 or beyond that has a chance to be a potential Top 20 pick, sources said. Besides Bridges, Finney-Smith has drawn the most trade interest of any Net player heading into the deadline.
Like Begley and Scotto, Marc Stein similarly reports Tuesday that DFS has teams interested, particularly Milwaukee but the price remains the issue.
League sources confirmed to The Stein Line on Tuesday that the Bucks indeed have a level of interest in Finney-Smith.
Brooklyn, by all accounts, will not trade Finney-Smith without getting back at least one future first-round pick. The Bucks simply don’t have a future first available to offer for Finney-Smith and the Nets, like Atlanta with Dejounte Murray and Washington with Kyle Kuzma, have been signaling to interested teams that they are prepared to wait beyond this deadline until their valuation for Finney-Smith is met.
We will soon know how firm Brooklyn’s stance is. Smith, for the record, is in Year 2 of a four-year, $55.5 million contract.
Finally (for now at least), Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports reports much of the same but also adds a possible return.
Finney-Smith is another player on the Bucks’ radar, sources confirmed, as his $13.3 million salary would not require parting with Portis. But Milwaukee doesn’t have the first-round draft capital that Brooklyn, sources said, is seeking for its swingman. The Bucks have been including Marjon Beauchamp in conversations, sources said, along with the No. 35 pick Milwaukee will inherit from Portland in this June’s draft.
Fischer also reports possible Boston Celtics interest in Lonnie Walker IV who’s on a minimum deal.
Also, sources tell both NetsDaily and Fischer that there’s no interest in a DFS reunion with his former team, the Mavs.