As the NBA offseason rolls on and we get closer to training camps and the preseason, some teams still aren’t finished filling out their rosters for the upcoming 2021-22 campaign.
The Brooklyn Nets could be one team that isn’t done making offseason deals, as they look to strengthen their depth chart heading toward training camp in September. According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, the Nets are interested in two players on the Cleveland Cavaliers roster.
Both Kevin Love and Isaiah Hartenstein are on the Nets’ early Christmas wish list this year. With Love, the interest would be in the buyout market should he and the Cavs come to an agreement. Love is still under contract for two more years in Cleveland, so that acquisition may be tougher to come by for Brooklyn.
The Cavs were thought to be working on a buyout of Love’s contract, but the team quickly denied those claims. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN also reported Love has no interest in a buyout offer from the Cavs. So, it is obvious that if this deal is going to be done, the Nets will need a little more effort to make it happen.
This Nets squad could use another stretch big in the frontcourt who can not only score but also rebound. While Love’s rebound totals have declined in recent years, he still averages 11 rebounds per game for his career. The Nets will take that in a heartbeat. Brooklyn may need to move on from DeAndre Jordan to free up a roster spot if they do plan to bring in Love at some point. Jordan played less and less as the season wore on last year but getting Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to sign off on this move may be the biggest obstacle.
The other Cavs player Brooklyn has shown interest in is Isaiah Hartenstein. The Cavs 7-footer had a career year in both points and rebounds during the 2020-21 season. Hartenstein averaged 8.3ppg and 6rpg, which is more than double his production from the previous season. Hartenstein would add another big body up front alongside Blake Griffin and Love if these moves happen. Adding Hartenstein would also help fill a void left by LaMarcus Aldridge’s retirement last season due to health concerns.
If the Nets can figure out how to get both players away from the Cavs, it will definitely add much-needed depth to the roster. This also adds another intriguing element to that Christmas day matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, since Love played alongside Irving and Lebron James in Cleveland, winning a championship in 2016.
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