Andrei Kirilenko lost a spot in Hollins’ rotation, but the market for Kirilenko appears stronger than a mere salary dump with the Philadelphia 76ers.
ESPN’s Marc Stein reports that the market for Kirilenko expands “beyond merely dispatching AK-47 to Philly.” Stein cites an intriguing possibility with Kirilenko’s former team the Utah Jazz.
One intriguing option, if Nets wait 'til Dec. 15 when trade market expands, is said to be AK-47 back to Utah for Jeremy Evans/Toure Murry
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) November 24, 2014
Like Kirilenko, Evans is a combo forward with a tremendous wingspan and no spot in the rotation. A former dunk contestant with a freak vertical jump, Evans could potentially give the Nets a sorely needed dose of athleticism.
At age 27, what you see is what you get with Evans: He has shown little in the way of stats but advanced statistics like PER rate him as an above average player (career average of 17.5 with a season high of 19.9), and his per 36 numbers project a 12.5 point scorer who pulls in 8.8 total rebounds.
Evans offers little in the way of floor spacing, operating mostly in the paint (though Grantland’s Zach Lowe notes a semi-workable midrange game). Toure’ Murry, on the other hand, boast 41.7% three point shooting with above average on-the-ball defense. Murry has played little this year, but Knicks fans remember Murry from a fairly impressive Texas trip where Murry helped The Knicks defeat both the Mavericks and Spurs (and nearly the Rockets) before being banished back to the bench.
Whether or not you like the trade, an emerging market for Kirilenko only stands to benefit a Nets franchise that has seemingly made up its mind on Kirilenko’s role with this team.
