Despite previous rumors about the Brooklyn Nets wanting in on a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade sweepstakes, if it ever happened, a new NBA rumor claims the organization is no longer interested in a blockbuster trade.
To begin the decade, the Nets boldly tried to build a super team. They signed future Hall of Famers Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency, then eventually traded for another in James Harden. On paper, Brooklyn had a team that could get them back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2003, and potentially win the franchise’s first NBA title.
After reaching the Eastern Conference semis in 2021, the Nets superteam turned into a disaster from a mix of injuries and locker room drama that head coach Steve Nash could not handle. It’s why the organization chose to blow it all up in 2023 and once again pursue a rebuild.
Yet despite starting from scratch, there have long been rumblings that if Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo became available, the Nets would not miss an opportunity to land an elite franchise anchor and get back into playoff contention. Well, this week, reports have emerged that the two-time MVP and the Bucks plan to discuss his future, and a trade seems likely later this month.
Now is the time for a blockbuster trade with the Nets at the bottom of the standings again in 2025-26 and having nine first-round picks from 2026 through 2030. But it seems that Brooklyn is no longer interested in bold moves to end a streak of losing seasons.
BK Nets no longer interested in trading for superstars?
“The Nets are no longer being described in the same terms. My best read on Brooklyn at the moment is that it has mostly abandoned its ambitions for jumping straight back into the star market in the wake of the Kevin Durant/James Harden/Kyrie Irving Era,” NBA insider Jake Fischer writes.
“It was two summers ago that the Nets, who once viewed Mikal Bridges as their in-house No. 2 with the ability to help attract a true alpha to Barclays Center, dealt Bridges to the Knicks. I’m told Brooklyn has since set its sights on the upper reaches of the forthcoming draft in hopes of adding a potential rookie superstar to the five first-round selections it made this past June,” he added.
Now, Antetokounmpo may turn down a move to the BK Nets. However, they would have a shot because of his well-known love for New York, and they have the trade chips to make a deal appealing to the Bucks. The decision to pass on such an idea is baffling, considering how poorly their rebuild continues to go after drafting players in the first round in June.
However, next year’s NBA Draft is supposed to be one of the best in years, so they may be banking on getting some big-time talent in next year’s event.
