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With Marcus Thornton in the fold, the Nets next target before the trade deadline, which is tomorrow at 3 p.m., is Jordan Hill. Hill would be acquired by the Nets Disabled Player Exception that they received after Brook Lopez went down for the season. The Nets would have to pay 17-million in salary and luxury taxes to acquire Hill for the rest of the season. The Nets would have his Bird Rights, though.
Earlier in the day Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported that the Lakers were talking to other teams besides the Nets to gauge their interest about Hill. The Phoenix Suns were mentioned, but Woj reported later that they are not involved in talks "as of now."
Suns are no longer engaged in talks with Lakers on Jordan Hill, league sources tell Yahoo Sports. "Not as of now," one source says.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 19, 2014
Marc Stein of ESPN.com identified another team that's interested in Hill.
Hearing now that Cavs have strongly emerged as team trying to trump BKN and acquire Jordan Hill from Lakers. Looks like Cavs & Nets for Hill
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) February 19, 2014
Romana Shelburne of ESPN.com added during the evening that the Pelicans and Bobcats were also chasing after Hill. Shelburne notes that it the team that lands Hill might have to give up assets to get him.
With interest in Hill strong, Lakers expect something more than cap relief in return for him.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) February 20, 2014
This makes the Nets chances of acquiring Hill much more slim. They don't have many assets in the draft. If they were to offer any they can look to their stable of European prospects to whom they own the rights to. The Nets could offer the rights to a European prospect such as Bojan Bogdanovic, Ilkan Karaman or Edin Bavcic, whose rights were acquired in the Tyshawn Taylor deal. If the two teams find themselves in a bidding war for Hill, the Nets could be outgunned. Only Bogdanovic would have much appeal and as Chris Mannix reported earlier Wednesday, the Nets are reluctant to part with him.
The Cavs have quite a few picks in this draft. Besides their own picks this season, they have a second-round pick from Minnesota and Orlando at their disposal. The Cavs also have a first-round pick coming from Memphis and Miami in the 2015 draft, but their own pick can be swapped with Chicago if it falls outside of the lottery in 2015.
The Bobcats have the Trail Blazers and Pistons draft pick coming their way if they can avoid some protections, but it seems that both will go to Charlotte, but not their own, which will be with the Bulls if the Bobcats don't have the 10 worst record or worse. The Bobcats stable of picks and willingness to offer them makes them a contender to acquire Hill. Charlotte is trying to a bigger name, so they may try to prolong talks with the Lakers.
New Orleans on the other hand doesn't have many picks at their disposal. They have neither this year and only their first-round pick in 2015. However, they did just acquire a Disabled Player Exception, like the Nets, for the injured Ryan Anderson.
One interesting note that may make Hill a bit unattractive to the Nets: he has been in the New York market before and he has not liked it. He played poorly for the Knicks several years ago and may not be open to staying in the Big Apple for an extended period of time. The Nets do have his Bird Rights so they can try and lock him down without going into the luxury tax, but Hill may not want to stay.