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The Mikal Bridges trade signaled the start of a rebuild for Brooklyn, and that sentiment was only enhanced when the Nets re-acquired their first-round draft picks from the James Harden trade with the Houston Rockets.
As previously reported by HoopsHype, Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith is among the notable trade candidates.
The Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers are among the teams with interest in trading for Finney-Smith, league sources told HoopsHype.
The 76ers have been scouring the trade market for a forward who could potentially start for them, league sources say, and Finney-Smith would fit that criteria.
As noted above, Philadelphia has also expressed interest in a pair of Miami Heat small forwards on the free agent market, Caleb Martin and Haywood Highsmith, league sources told HoopsHype, and as reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer. For now, Philadelphia believes Martin is holding out for more money elsewhere, but the 76ers seemingly remain interested in signing him until he’s off the market.
The Cavaliers have admired Finney-Smith and have kept tabs on him since the Nets acquired him, league sources said.
Amid Cleveland’s interest in Finney-Smith, it’s worth noting that Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro is a potential sign-and-trade candidate to monitor in restricted free agency, league sources told HoopsHype, and as ESPN’s Bobby Marks recently noted.
As Cavaliers beat writer Chris Fedor said during an appearance on The HoopsHype Podcast, ”In many ways, it feels like the Cavaliers have outgrown Okoro.”
A potential offer for Okoro above the non-taxpayer mid-level exception could make Cleveland think twice about retaining the 23-year-old stout defender, who’s coming off a career-high 39.1 percent from 3-point range, with Evan Mobley eligible for an extension and Caris LeVert entering the final year of his contract.
