Nets news: DeAndre Jordan, four second-round picks traded to Pistons

Per sources, the Brooklyn Nets have traded center DeAndre Jordan, four second-round draft picks and $5.78 million to the Detroit Pistons for Jahlil Okafor and Sekou Doumbouya. The Pistons are planning to work out a contract buyout for the remaining two-years, $19.7 million owed to the 33-year-old. He was set to earn $9,881,598 next season and $9,821,842 in the 2022-23 NBA season.

After clearing waivers, Jordan is expected to sign a one-year $2.6 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. On July 6, 2019, as a free agent, he signed a four-year, $39.96 million contract with Brooklyn. In the 2020-21 season, Jordan averaged 7.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game in 57 games played. Additionally, he had a field goal percentage of 76.3 percent and shot 50 percent from the free throw line last season.

ESPN Sources: Brooklyn is trading C DeAndre Jordan, four future-second round picks and $5.78M to Detroit for Jahlil Okafor and Sekou Doumbouya. Pistons plan to work through a buyout on two-years, $20M owed Jordan; Nets will save $47M in salary and tax on deal.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 3, 2021

Nets have shown ability to recruit top-level vet-minimum talent as a big-market title contender, which alleviates pressure of surrendering picks over life of Durant/Harden/Irving era. $47M in savings can be reinvested into free agents at mid-level exception, buying future seconds

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 3, 2021

There were rumors mounting in league circles concerning the Lakers showing interest in the center’s contract buyout. They are still the favorites to sign the All-Star. However, as stated before, the Pistons reportedly will complete the buyout for Jordan’s contract. This was a decent trade by Pistons general manager Troy Weaver. Okafor and Doumbouya are young, hardworking players, but DeAndre Jordan is a fantastic rim-protector as well, if he stay healthy. Four second-round draft picks (2022, 2024, 2025, 2027) provides greater options.

Who are Jahlil Okafor and Sekou Doumbouya?

Last season, Okafor averaged 5.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and almost one assist per game. The 25-year-old center shot 61.8 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from beyond the arc. The sixth-year player was selected third overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. The Chicago native will earn $2,130,023 next season. As for Doumbouya, the 20-year-old power forward—also born in Conakry, Guinea—averaged 5.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and nearly one assist per game.

He also shot 37.9 percent from the floor and 22.6 percent from three-point range. The French forward played for the Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball for the 2015-16 season. Plus, he played for Poitiers from 2016 through 2018 and Limoges CSP for the 2018-19 season.

Doumbouya became the first basketball player born in the 21st century to play in the top three French leagues. The Frenchman was selected 15th overall by the Pistons in the 2019 NBA Draft. Sekou earned $3,449,400 last season and is projected to make $3,613,680 next season. He is still on his rookie-scale contract.

Furthermore, the Nets giving up four second-round draft picks sounds like a bit much. To the casual NBA viewer, it appears to be a bad trade. Nevertheless, there is logic behind what Nets general manager Sean Marks followed through on. The organization is saving as much as $47 million for free agents and future draft capital. This is a gamble, but it is well worth the risk.