The Brooklyn Nets (3-8) are just 11 games into their 2026-27 NBA season and at this moment, they are still trying to figure out how to turn the corner before it's too late. Brooklyn is coming off its best game of the season as they defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 145-111 on Wednesday by playing well on both ends of the floor against another struggling team in the Pelicans.
As Sam Amick reported for The Athletic earlier this week, the Nets are willing to listen to trade offers for any of their players with forward Michael Porter Jr. being the most sought-after player on the team. While time will tell if general manager Sean Marks decides to trade Porter, forward Julius Randle, or anyone else on the roster, but trade rumors are anything but unfamiliar
to the Nets since this current rebuild began.
With Brooklyn once again expected to be one of the worst teams in the league, there are plenty of people around the NBA that will make the Nets the subject of a significant amount of trades prior to the February deadline. The Nets are likely to be interested in acquiring draft picks and/or young players, but what if they were willing to invest significant capital in a budding young player?
Bleacher Report's Dan Favale proposed a potential trade idea between the Nets and Orlando Magic centered on forward Franz Wagner:
The Mock Trade
Nets Receive: Franz Wagner, Goga Bitadze, Jonathan Isaac
Magic Receive: Michael Porter Jr., Day'Ron Sharpe, Philadelphia's 2028 first-round pick (top-eight protection), New York's 2029 first-round pick
Would The Nets Do It?
If this were to be the framework of a trade between the Nets and Magic, Brooklyn would be losing its starting small forward (Porter), starting center (Sharpe), and two first-round picks. Granted, the Nets would gain their new starting small forward in Wagner and a player in Bitadze that would likely assume the starting center role with Mo, Franz's brother, remaining as the backup center.
More to the point, the 2028 first-round pick from the Philadelphia 76ers isn't as valuable as a normal first-round pick given that it's top-8 protected (meaning the pick would go to Philadelphia if it falls within the first eight picks). While the Nets aren't necessarily in the business of giving up draft capital that they would need to bring talented young players to the roster, giving up two first-round picks from teams that are expected to make deep playoff runs doesn't seem bad at all.
Porter, 28, is averaging 21.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 45.6% from the field and 37.5% from behind the three-point line in 32.6 minutes played per game. However, Porter is in a contract year and while he is eligible to be extended at any point between now and the end of the season, it's possible that Orlando would extend him after the deal is made.
Wagner, 25, is averaging 24.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 47.1% from the floor and 26.6% from deep in 36.8% minutes played per contest. After this season, Wagner still has three years and nearly $144 million (almost $48 million per season) left on his contract so the Nets would have a few years to figure out how Wagner fits into the rebuild.
Prediction: Yes, the Nets would do this trade.
This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Could the Nets trade for Magic's Franz Wagner in the future?
