The Nets will likely not make any deal at all if they’re unable to swing a major trade for Smith, which appears more and more likely as the 3 P.M. trade deadline inches closer.
The Brooklyn Nets’ offer of Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, and a first-round draft pick or Bojan Bogdanovic does not appear to have the enticing flavor that Hawks GM Danny Ferry is looking for in rebuilding his team without Smith. If anything, it appears the Hawks used the Nets deal as leverage to get other teams to up their offers for the forward. (The leverage with a deal like that can only go so far.)
Humphries’ contract – $12 million per year — is the Nets’ biggest trade asset at this point, but its value is severely tempered, as it expires next year rather than this year.
