Should We Look for Brooklyn Nets interest in Paul Millsap at deadline?

Sam Amico of FOX Sports tweeted Friday night that the Nets "might make a play" for Paul Millsap of the Jazz at the trade deadline a month from now.

Amico was responding to a question from BrooklynNets11, known around NetsDaily as BrooklynNets8, who asked, "Any of these likely to Nets? Nene, Boozer, Millsap?" Amico replied, "Not 'likely,' but hear they might make play for Millsap at deadline." Later, Houston blogger tweeted, "Brooklyn Nets have expressed interest in Utah PF Paul Millsap."

Millsap, 27, will be an unrestricted free agent come July. He earns $8.6 million this season, but because the Nets are beyond the hard cap they would be restricted in signinng him as a free agent or working a sign-and-trade with the Jazz. If however they were able to spring Millsap from Utah in a trade before the deadline, they would acquire his "Bird Rights" and be able to sign him to a long-term deal in the summer.

The Jazz have two young players in Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter (and the rights one of Europe's top bigs, Ante Tomic). They are providing both with increasingly more minutes, particularly favoring Favors over Millsap. Millsap is not happy about the decision.

In a series of tweets with Nets fans earlier this week, Peter Vecsey threw cold water on speculation re: Millsap, writing that there's no way that the Jazz would accept Kris Humphries (who originally played for Utah) and arguing Nene Hilario's value is severely limited because of his history of injury: "Highly doubt that can b done. Guy makes $24M f two. No way re Jazz. Nene's chronic injuries make him untouchable in my opinion."

Vecsey also hinted, in the same series of tweets, that the Nets' top target in a trade would be Rudy Gay, tweeting "Nets are the Nets for remainder of season unless Billy King can figure out how to satisfy Grizz 4 Gay." Vecsey and King are known to be close.