If you want to poach Rondae Hollis-Jefferson from the Brooklyn Nets, the going rate is a first-round pick.
Just ask the New York Knicks. They know.
From the New York Post‘s Marc Berman:
Hornacek’s team still has a pulse as the trade deadline looms Feb. 8. If the Knicks don’t gain ground, they will look to be sellers and pawn off veterans for futures/young players.
One NBA source said the Knicks inquired about the Nets’ 23-year-old defensive forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, but Brooklyn asked for a first-rounder. That the Knicks’ pick is looking more like a lottery selection makes it virtually untouchable.
According to sources, Kyle O’Quinn and Courtney Lee are the likeliest to go, even if the most inquiries the Knicks have received have been about center Willy Hernangomez, as The Post first reported. Trading O’Quinn opens the door for Hernagomez, 23, to play.
Dangling Kyle O’Quinn or Willy Hernangomez alone isn’t going to cut it for the Knicks. O’Quinn is slated for free agency this summer (player option), giving him limited value to the Nets, and big-for-wing trades simply don’t happen anymore—unless you’re the Detroit Pistons and the returning player is Blake Griffin.
Brooklyn is smart to demand at least a first-rounder for Hollis-Jefferson’s services. It won’t be a lottery pick, because he’ll be a restricted free agent in need of a raise next summer, but he’s worth a low- or mid-end prospect to the right team. Not only has he shown he can play and defend both the 3 and 4 spots, but head coach Kenny Atkinson has used him at center in supercharged small-ball lineups. And while his three-point touch has yet to come around, he’s developed into something of a mid-range savant, putting down around 48.6 percent of his looks between 10 feet and just inside the three-point line, per Basketball-Reference.
In a vacuum, the Nets shouldn’t be looking to move Hollis-Jefferson. But they’re about to regain all their first-round obligations, starting next season. They’ll have to decide whether they want to tank for a better pick, and keeping Hollis-Jefferson would be disingenuous to that endeavor. Even if they don’t want to tank, they have to reconcile the notion he’ll soon command a hefty raise, and re-investing in a roster that isn’t yet ready to make a playoff push doesn’t tend to sit well with front offices.
Keep an eye on Hollis-Jefferson as we near the trade deadline. Heck, keep your eyes on the Nets, period. They’re in a precarious situation and could opt to deal shorter-term assets for future picks that turn into cost-controlled assets.
