Nets trade Kris Humphries and a 2015 first-round pick (lottery-protected) to the Pistons; Receive Tayshaun Prince and Jason Maxiell
Humphries has been in and out of the lineup all season long, due to both injuries and Reggie Evans’ emergence. Evans and Andray Blatche are worthy replacements to start in Humphries’ place should he be shipped out. Swapping out Humphries for Prince and Maxiell would fill a major gap off the bench at small forward for the Nets. Prince’s defensive resume and outside shooting would give the Nets bench a huge boost.
With Gerald Wallace always an injury risk, Prince can hop in and out of the lineup whenever needed. Prince’s length also gives the Nets another Wallace-type player that can play the four when the Nets go to smaller lineups. Maxiell’s expiring contract worth $5 million is a throw-in to make the deal work financially.
The draft pick comes with a weird set of considerations, as the Atlanta Hawks have the right to swap picks with the Nets should they so choose. The Hawks provision comes first; i.e. if the Nets end up with the first overall pick and the Hawks the 30th, the Hawks would then exercise their right to swap the picks, and the Nets would give the 30th overall pick to the Pistons. The lottery protection only comes into play should both the Hawks and the Nets end up in the lottery, an unlikely scenario.
-John Hood
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