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Jan 12, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center JaVale McGee (6) drives against Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Jan 12, 2021; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center JaVale McGee (6) drives against Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The Brooklyn Nets are one of the few super teams in the league. With the Big Three of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, they have one of the best teams offensively.
This however hasn’t resonated in the regular season so far with the team. Despite their jam-packed offense excelling, the Nets find themselves with a record of ten wins and eight losses.
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Dec 28, 2020; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets center DeAndre Jordan (6) blocks a shot by Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
The biggest reason for this has been their defense. With such a leaky defense, the Nets are in dire need of a rim protector. The team is definitely looking for some reinforcements according to NBA insider Jason Dumas.
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Dumas reported that the Nets are in active trade discussions to sign veteran big JaVale McGee from the Cavaliers.
SOURCE: The Brooklyn Nets are in active discussions with the Cleveland Cavaliers to acquire JaVale McGee. Also have interest in Kevin Love
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) January 25, 2021
McGee has fallen down the pecking order for the Cavs with the arrival of Jarrett Allen from the Nets. The 33-year-old had a great 2019-20 season with the Lakers as he and fellow center Dwight Howard dominated the paint.
Kevin Love meanwhile has been injury-prone in the last two seasons and is still out with a calf injury. Despite the injuries, Love has transformed into a consistent scorer and a decent defender. He will be a welcome addition to the Nets.
Why the Brooklyn Nets are interested in signing McGee or Love?
The Nets have an experienced center in DeAndre Jordan. The 32-year-old might be a three-time-All-NBA center, but in the last three years, he has surely seen a major drop off in his production offensively as well as defensively.
This is also apparent during this regular season. The Nets have been a nightmare in their defense and without a reliable backup to the 32-year-old; the Nets have suffered a lot.
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The 2016-17 All-Star is the only true center-left for the Nets after the departure of Jarrett Allen. If they sign JaVale McGee, they will have a much more reliable backup than the likes of Jeff Green.
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Dec 29, 2020; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center JaVale McGee (6) drives against New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) in the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The three-time champion will be a much bigger threat in the paint and might even start ahead of Jordan considering he has had a much better season statistically so far. If the deal goes through, the Nets will be better defensively.
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The signing of Kevin Love is an intriguing choice for the Nets. With such a poor injury record, trading for Love will be a big gamble. He might add to their loaded offense, but won’t address their biggest problem that is their defense.
With time running out, the Nets are desperate for a backup center. Can they trade for McGee or Love?
