RUMOR ROUNDUP: Nets don’t want to take on salary next year ... and Norman Powell?

In a discussion of the NBA trade deadline hosted by Rod Perez on Twitter Spaces, Adrian Wojnarowski said that Sean Marks and the Nets are certainly interested in moving Spencer Dinwiddie for someone who could help them the rest of this season but they aren’t interested in taking on players whose contracts extend beyond this season.

In the conversation, which also included ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Bobby Marks, Woj reiterated that Brooklyn would “love” to be in the Andre Drummond buyout market as well as the post-deadline competition for J.J. Redick and added a new name to the buyout field: Moe Harkless, the former St. John’s big man now with the Heat. Woj said he, too, could interest Brooklyn.

Talking about Dinwiddie specifically, Woj essentially placed limits on expectations of a big haul for the 6’6” point guard unless it was for a similarly situated player, one on an expiring deal or a player option likely to be declined. Two names rumored to be of interest to Brooklyn, Norman Powell of Toronto and Rodney McGruber of Detroit would qualify. Dinwiddie, of course, is out for the year with a partially torn ACL and has been rehabbing in southern California on his own.

“A team that might want Spencer Dinwiddie’s Bird Rights might want to sign him. Nets can get that money off. They can get back maybe a second round pick,” said Woj. “I know there are some teams that like Dinwiddie and would like to give Brooklyn a guy who has money coming back next year and that doesn’t really interest the Nets, like take on some money for next year.”

Rather, he said, the Nets want “a player they might like down the stretch this year but it’s not really worth the tradeoff and so that’ll be an interesting one to watch too.”

As for teams that would want Dinwiddie, Woj said it would likely be “a team that doesn’t have cap space or just wants to get him in and had a leg up on re-signing him.”

Windhorst said from what he hears, Dinwddie is “definitely out there” and admitted the buzz about the 28-year-old surprises him.

“I don’t ever remember an injured player being out there like this,” said Windhorst. “Everybody knew he was out for a year. And he’s definitely out there and that could be one of the most interesting trades. Brooklyn could get a player that could really help them. That may not be a superstar move but that could wind up impacting the playoff race because you’re talking about a top team.”

Separately on his Hoops Collective podcast (21:20), Windhorst said the Nets are among several teams interested in Powell who’s on an expiring deal that’s nearly identical to Dinwiddie’s.

“There are teams interested in Norman Powell,” Windhorst said. “They could trade him and I know one of the teams interested in him is Brooklyn, for example. You talk about Brooklyn upgrading at the deadline. They could.

“There are multiple teams interested in Powell and Brooklyn’s in there. The have Spencer Dinwiddie and I know Dinwiddie can’t play this year but to get his Bird Rights could be interesting.”

Powell, a 6’4” 3-and-D wing, is having the best year of his career at age 27. He’s averaging 19.5 points on a shooting line of 50/43/87.

In talking to Perez, Windhorst noted the demoralizing effect the Nets’ acquisition of another quality player could have on the rest of the East.

Windhorst also said that if the Nets could add such a player, it could affect how other teams in the East plan their strategy for the rest of this season. In some front office, he said, Brooklyn could be seen as such a lock for the conference championship that it might deter other teams from making big moves at the deadline.

“That’s the other thing. If you’re an Eastern Conference team, the Nets look so good right now, i wonder how much I’m going after it,” he said. adding, “I do believe that’s a factor for Miami whether they think if they make a big swing whether they can beat (Brooklyn). They probably do believe it. With Jimmy Butler, they probably believe they can beat anybody.”

On the buyout market, which seems to expand with each passing day, Woj said he expects the Nets to be active. Once the trade deadline passes on Thursday, teams will start talking about the amount —and timing— of buyouts with players. Any player waived and/or bought out before April 9 is eligible for the post-season. One player he said the Nets are likely to pass on is LaMarcus Aldridge, the 35-year-old big the Spurs have shut down.

“I don’t think they are in the LaMarcus Aldridge (buyout). LaMarcus is a little repetitive for them to Blake. Once they got Blake (Griffin), they were not going to be in the LaMarcus buyout market.”

Drummond and Redick are different, he said. Harkless, he added, could be of interest as well. Drummond, the big buyout prize, will have multiple suitors, Woj said, noting how the Clippers cleared a roster spot and got under the hard cap Monday night by dumping Mifond Kabengele on the Kings.

“I know they would love to be in the Drummond buyout market,” he said of the Nets. “.And the Lakers and certainly some others. The Clippers cleared a roster spot tonight. They could be able to do some things in there.

“J.J. Redick could potentially be in there if there’s no trade for him before Thursday. Mo Harkless in Miami. That hasn’t really worked out. That’ll be an interesting one. He can give some depth.”

Harkless is a 27’year-old Queens native who played for St. John’s in college. A journeyman who’s played for the Magic, Blazers, Clippers, Knicks and Heat, he’s been stapled to the bench in Miami, the result of both injuries and a logjam at the wing positions. He’s played in only 11 games and is averaging only 1.2 points a game while making $3.6 million on an expiring deal.

Late Monday, there was increasing speculation that Drummond would choose the Lakers over the Nets Marc Stein reported in his weekly newsletter...

There is a growing belief around the league that the Los Angeles Lakers have an edge over the Nets to sign Drummond if he makes it to free agency, and the Heat are widely regarded as the leaders to sign Aldridge.

The Lakers only can afford to offer Drummond a minimum deal, but they have a bigger role to offer him than the Nets. After he and the Cavaliers mutually agreed a month ago that he would not play while the team sought deals, Drummond needs playing time to enhance his marketability entering free agency. That has given the Lakers confidence they can trump the offers of the Nets, who can use a $5.7 million disabled player exception from Spencer Dinwiddie’s season-ending knee injury or a $5.6 million midlevel exception left over from last off-season.

Similarly, Ian Begley of SNY, in handicapping potential Nets big man acquisition, said this on The Putback...

“I don’t see Drummond as likely headed there, I’m curious to see what happens with JaVale McGee, maybe that’s a fit in Brooklyn.”

Fischer took a different tack. He writes “Brooklyn’s interest seems to have waned since it signed Blake Griffin.”

Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo! Sports reports the Heat and Nets could be talking trade, one that would send Harkless, Kendrick Nunn and Avery Bradley to Brooklyn for Dinwiddie and a second rounder.

The Brooklyn Nets are searching for more bench help. Sources tell Yahoo Sports they’ve dangled the rehabbing Spencer Dinwiddie and a second-round pick. Miami is an intriguing option, according to sources — Mo Harkless, Avery Bradley and Kendrick Nunn have been discussed.

Like others, Goodwill notes that the Nets could simply hold off on trading Dinwiddie and do a sign-and-trade in the summer. However, Miami’s main interest remains in acquiring Kyle Lowry and if that works out, there seems to little rationale to trading for Dinwiddie.

Could the Nets take on multiple contracts? All three players noted in Goodwill’s reporting have player options for next year and their total salary wouldn’t match Dinwiddie’s.

Indeed, Windhorst and Marks told Perez that with the flexibility the Nets have at the bottom of their roster, they could add two or three more players in the coming weeks. Currently, they have 13 players on standard contracts and on Monday signed Alize Johnson, the 6’8” G Leaguer, to a 10-day deal, leaving them with one open roster spot. In addition, Chris Chiozza, who’s been used sparingly of late, is on a two-way deal as is rookie Reggie Perry.

Meanwhile, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer reports that the Cavs are not interested in buying out JaVale McGee if they can’t find a taker for him by Thursday.

JaVale McGee is being mentioned as a trade target for playoff teams. But Cleveland isn’t interested in a buyout. He showcased his value Monday. To the Cavs. And perhaps the rest of the league. (McGee scored a season-high 18 points.)

Hat tip to WillNetsFan for finding and clipping the Radio Roulette discussion about the Nets.