From Chad Ford and Marc Stein of ESPN.com:
The Brooklyn Nets are trying to find a home for their 2011 first-round selection, MarShon Brooks. Sources say the Nets are trying to land a second first-rounder in return. One team to watch is the Minnesota Timberwolves. If the Wolves will give the Nets the No. 26 pick in return, they’ll probably have a deal on draft night.
Minnesota is a likely target because they already have a first-round pick (9th) and two additional second-round picks. Yesterday, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reported that the Nets were engaged in trade talks with the Timberwolves, with Brooks as the centerpiece.
Brooks was the 25th pick in 2011 and has mixed flurries of excellent scoring with inconsistency and poor defensive awareness. Still, it’s odd that they’d do a straight one-for-one to get rid of Brooks and add a late first-rounder in what’s widely perceived as a weak draft. It’s possible that someone wowed them in workouts (such as Tim Hardaway Jr. or Brazilian newcomer Alexandre Paranhos), and they think losing Brooks is a worthy tradeoff to ensure picking up a second selection.
Brooks is one of those tantalizing talents that looks the part but doesn’t always play it. That said, I’m not sure a 26th pick in the draft is worth losing him unless they’re sure they can develop someone there.
