Brooklyn Nets Rumors: Thaddeus Young To Toronto?

If you talk about anything about the Brooklyn Nets, it is about the front office shake up and the General Manager position that needs to be filled. If there were going to be any Brooklyn Nets rumors at this point, it would be tied to that situation. It would be difficult to believe that anything on the court would spark any Brooklyn Nets rumors, especially with the uncertainty of who’s going to pick up the phone to make a deal.

The Brooklyn Nets are now on their All-Star break after their loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, 109-90. With the attendance starting to tank along with extremely low TV ratings, basically about the only excitement that will rolling around the Barclays Center these days are Brooklyn Nets rumors.

Well try this one on for size. This one is a doozy.

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Toronto Raptors are considering a deal involving Thaddeus Young. It does make sense, considering that the Raptors could shore up their frontcourt to help out their All-Star backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. The Raptors are going to need the help if they hope to make a run at the Cleveland Cavaliers who sit at the top of the Eastern Conference. Plus, Young would be a solid backup plan if DeMarre Carroll does not make it back to top form for the playoff run after being injured throughout most of the year.

Here’s what Windhorst said on a Toronto radio show this week according to the Brooklyn Game…

“I think they’re gonna go for it. I think from what I understand, from what I’m hearing, they’re pretty aggressive in the trade market. They’re looking for power forwards. I’ve heard them attached to Thaddeus Young. I’ve heard them attached to (Nuggets forward) Kenneth Faried. I’ve heard them attached to (Suns forward) Markieff Morris. They have extra draft picks. I wouldn’t trade that New York Knicks pick unless it was for a blockbuster acquisition, because you can’t protect it, you can’t protect another team’s pick. I would do it if I could put, like, a top five protection on it. But you can’t do that. You can’t say, all right, we’ll give you two of our picks if it falls in the top five. But they have assets to do it. They have some young players.”

Let’s break a couple of things down here.

I don’t think Faried will be moved at the trading deadline. At least not in a deal with Toronto. Now Markieff Morris probably has his bags packed for the deadline. Morris has basically raised all types of sand since his brother Marcus got traded to Detroit. Morris almost went toe to toe with his OWN TEAMMATE Archie Goodwin last night against the Golden State Warriors. At this point, Phoenix will trade him to Toronto for a box of Newports and Puma sweats. If the Nets want to make a deal, Phoenix will be their rival for the Raptors’ attention here.

There are some questions looming…

1.) Do you want to make a deal moving Thaddeus Young in the first place?

I don’t think the Nets would, but it would be smart to take a long look at what the Raptors are offering. Right now, the Raptors have three first-round picks. They have New York’s pick, which as the season moves along is an almost guarantee that it will be a lottery pick. They have a first-round pick acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers and the Raptors have their own first. Considering the last two picks mentioned will be low first-round selections, the Raptors will probably dangle those depending on how aggressive they want to make a deal.

Also the Nets are being tested on the direction that the franchise will be going forward. Understand that Thaddeus Young was a Billy King signing. A signing that looked like the Nets were bidding against themselves. Sure Thaddeus Young has put up numbers this year, but it does stand to question how much his play is revered around the league. The Minnesota Timberwolves were headed straight for the lottery and traded him to Brooklyn for Kevin Garnett, who is on his last legs in a straight up trade. A four-year, $50-million clear out off the books might be a good situation for the Nets if they get a chance. Plus, we do not know what the new General Manager will want to do when he takes over.

Now do you see why the waiting to deal with the General Manager situation hurts? There are eight days left (and counting down) and the Brooklyn Nets still - all together now…

DON’T HAVE A GENERAL MANAGER!

The General Manager would have to make the decision on if the Nets wanted to stay the course and wait for the offseason and not mess with the salary cap or make the deal and get back some of the first-round picks that Billy King handed out like Valentine’s Day candy.

2.)  What are the Nets willing to take back to make the deal work?

To make this deal work, the Nets have to take back some salary. With the Brooklyn Nets speeding up the tempo, Patrick Patterson would not be a bad pickup. He has the range out to the three-point line which would provide the stretch-four the Nets BADLY need. Couple him with another contract to line up salaries and a few other players like Deion Wright or Norman Powell and promise to take Anthony Bennett off their hands, this would not be an embarrassment if you were in the Brooklyn Nets’ front office under the circumstances.

This deal would be addition by subtraction. If the opportunity came along, the Brooklyn Nets should trade Thaddeus Young and obtain some assets for the future. Those first-round picks, even though they would be low, are more than the Nets have right now. Plus with the new front office personnel coming in, there is no guarantee that Young will be wanted anyway. Get the warm bodies, the draft picks and the past deals will not hurt as much.

Salary cap space is good, but there is no guarantee that the Nets will spend it on any big time free agents. Stick to the small steps to get the franchise’s future back intact.