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One Trade Too Many?

A lot of the deals lately have felt this way - maybe that's just the way they feel when things are going reasonably well and you're trying to figure out how to win games, instead of just winning A game. This may be one that we regret in two years, but it's another move that may push us further forward over the next two years as well.

The Nets continued doubling-down on winnning now, or at least winning soon. It's a move that raised an eyebrow amongst even some of the bigger fans of wizkid's work. The Nets sent their 2018 second round pick and a little known-asset, the Celtics' 2018 1st round pick that the Nets picked up for their 2016 2nd round pick in exchange for the franchinse changing asset... E'Twaun Moore!

With Khris Middleton out, shooting guard is easily the Nets' weakest position in the starting lineup, but it was already probably one of their deeper spots, especially with Goran Dragic hogging a good chunk of those minutes. The motive for the move seems to be that the team didn't feel like they had a guy that fit with the starters in Khris's absense. In rotations where Dragic and Bledsoe play heavy minutes together, the team was also missing a point guard to run the second unit. Moore gives them both, and when combined with his long-term contract, the Nets were confident that the value he would provide to the team will surpass that of a late first and a late second round pick the team's current window of the next 4-5 years.

Moore hopped off of the plane and will immediately jump into the starting lineup. This was a highly unusual move for an above .500 team, but conversation with insider sources seems to indicate that Moore was brought in specifically to start at the two, while Middleton is out. Dion and Caris both carried the load admirably, and each put up some great games. But LeVert just isn't ready for primetime and Dion really needs the ball in his hands to score - a tough place to be as a fourth option.

This will put the coaching staff in an even tougher place once Khris is back - because there will likely be guys that would start on many teams not getting any minutes at all. Teams have to be able to weather untimely injuries, but you've got to wonder if wizkid has crossed the line between depth and chemistry issues here. McRae will go to the IR, LeVert (once a starter) will get knocked down the the 13th slot, and Aminu, Robinson, Waiters, and Moore will have to fight for minutes as the 9th and 10th spots - spots that would fall out of the rotation entirely for some teams in the playoffs.

Week 8 was a bit of a rough one for the Nets, but everybody but the biggest homers saw it coming. Two games against Cleveland and one against Philly is almost a guarnateed 3 losses off of the bat, so the 2-2 result wasn't awful. By strength of schedule, it was their toughest week of the season, so .500 isn't bad. Week 9 is currently looking like the weakest schedule of the season, so a strong rebound with their newly introduced shooting guard is very important. A 4-1 week would put them in a great seat with one more week before the halfway point of the season.

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