We know that’s not very edifying on trade deadline day, but as of Thursday morning with four hours or so to go, it’s where we’re at. And yes, the headline is accurate: The front office will have to finalize the trade they worked out with the the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers by 3:00 p.m. ET … and before that, create the roster space needed for Ochai Agbaji.
Teams are allowed 15 standard deals (and three two-ways) and with the Agbaji deal, they’re looking at 16 standard spots. So someone
has to go. The most likely candidate is Cam Thomas who the Nets left behind in New York, citing personal reasons, when they flew to Orlando for Friday’s game with the Magic. But the math may not be simple.
As ESPN’s Kevin Pelton notes in his trade grades Thursday morning, the Nets could expand the multi-team deal and work out something a little more complicated. (Pelton gave the Nets a B.)
This is the start of Brooklyn using its position as the only NBA team with appreciable cap space to take on contracts for draft picks. Getting Agbaji leaves the Nets about $9 million below the cap, now less than teams can add using the taxpayer midlevel exception, though they could take on a bigger contract by sending back a smaller one (such as Agbaji’s) or exhaust their space and then use their room midlevel exception to add more salary.
Similarly, Erik Slater wrote this about the possibilities in his trade grade. (Slater gave the Nets an A-)
The Nets can take Agbaji into their $15.3 million in cap space. They could also use their cap space in other salary-dump moves, then absorb the Raptors guard into the $8.8 million room mid-level exception.
Who besides Thomas might be moved or cut? Haywood Highsmith, the 6’6” wing acquired from Miami in the summer, still hasn’t played this season as he continues to recover from his off-season left knee surgery. A couple of players on vets minimums might also be vulnerable: Tyrese Martin plays basically the same position as Agbaji. Jalen Wilson who was a teammate of Agbaji on Kansas NCAA champion team, back in 2022 is another possibility, but that sounds a little corny.
The Nets of course have been trying to move Thomas, with his cooperation, since the summer, but his trade value still seems low. Mike Scotto reported Wednesday that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks had some interest but Aryan Bhullar reported Thursday the Cavs have lost that interest…
How long will we have to wait? Not long, obviously, 3:00 p.m. ET, no further.
