- Here are the biggest Brooklyn Nets trades in franchise history.
- Jason Kidd leads the list of players that Brooklyn received through trade.
- Other notable players the Nets acquired were Vince Carter, James Harden, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett.
The Brooklyn Nets were one of the four remaining teams in the ABA that the NBA absorbed in 1976, and since then, they built a reputation as a top contender in the league, having made back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003. Unfortunately, they couldn’t defy the basketball odds because they were denied by the heavily-favored Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
Because of these failed championship runs, they are among the 11 NBA teams that haven’t won a championship. Regardless, the team retained its contender status because of the stars they acquired via trades throughout the franchise’s tenure in the NBA. But who among them were considered the top-tier trade acquisitions that greatly helped the team’s chances to win a title? Here’s a top-four list.
Jason Kidd
One of the biggest trades the Nets made was acquiring Jason Kidd from Phoenix in exchange for Stephon Marbury, Johnny Newman, and Soumaila Samake. Along with Kidd, Brooklyn also received Chris Dudley. Kidd not only steered the offense for the team but also led them to the NBA Finals in consecutive seasons in 2002 and 2003.
Sadly, the Shaq-Kobe led-Lakers and Tim Duncan-led Spurs denied them a title in those campaigns. Aside from helping them reach the NBA Finals, Kidd also helped the Nets qualify for the postseason six times in his seven years with the team. He averaged 14.6 points, 9.1 assists, and 7.2 rebounds in 506 games for seven seasons.
Vince Carter
After the Jason Kidd trade in 2001, the Nets’ big trade happened in December 2004, when they shipped Alonzo Mourning, Aaron Williams, Eric Williams, and two first-round picks to Toronto for high-flyer Vince Carter. This trade formed the trio of Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, and Vince Carter, which was touted to be a perennial championship team in the Eastern Conference.
Sadly, they never made it out of the postseason’s second round and only qualified three times in five seasons. Before parting ways with the team, Carter racked up an average of 23.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists for the Nets in 374 games. Carter also scored 8,834 points for the team, which is third-best in franchise history.
James Harden
In January 2021, Brooklyn became the recipient of the James Harden drama with the Houston Rockets, as they landed him via trade in exchange for Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince, Rodions Kurucs, three first-round picks, and multiple first-round pick swaps. This trade created the super team of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, thus making them one of the favorites to win a title.
THE BEARD IS A BROOKLYN NET.
WELCOME TO BROOKLYN, JAMES HARDEN. pic.twitter.com/kFgVEd8qtU
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 14, 2021
Because of how strong their roster was then, there was a caveat – they suffered multiple injuries from the three superstars and failed to reach their full potential as a true powerhouse. Their best finish together was a second-round playoff exit in 2021. Following that disappointing run, the team slowly fell apart, as these three superstars requested to be traded from the team.
Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett
Before the trio of Durant, Irving, and Harden failed, Brooklyn had a huge experiment in 2013 to instantly compete for a title. The Nets agreed to a blockbuster trade with Boston, where they received Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, D.J. White, and a second-round pick for Keith Bogans, Kris Humphries, Kris Joseph, Gerald Wallace, three first-round picks, and a first-round pick swap.
Kevin Garnett will agree to trade to Brooklyn and Celtics are sending KG and Paul Pierce to the Nets, league sources tell Y! Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 28, 2013
This massive trade envisioned a win-now scenario for the Nets, as they already had the core of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Shaun Livingston, and Brook Lopez. It was a catastrophic move for the franchise because they lost in the second round of the playoffs that season and traded away precious picks in the 2016 and 2017 drafts that ultimately became Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Brooklyn Nets Biggest Trades
| Player Acquired | Trade Details | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Kidd | Nets received: Jason Kidd and Chris Dudley / Suns received: Stephon Marbury, Johnny Newman, and Soumaila Samake | 2001 |
| Vince Carter | Nets received: Vince Carter / Raptors received: Alonzo Mourning, Aaron Williams, Eric Williams, and two first-round picks | 2004 |
| James Harden | Nets received: James Harden / Rockets received: Jarrett Allen, Taurean Prince, Rodions Kurucs, three first-round picks, and multiple first-round pick swaps | 2021 |
| Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett | Nets received: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, D.J. White, and a second-round pick / Celtics received: Keith Bogans, Kris Humphries, Kris Joseph, Gerald Wallace, three first-round picks, and a first-round pick swap | 2013 |
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