Nets Trade Rumors: DeAndre Jordan, 1st-Round Draft Pick Being Offered in Talks

The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly surveying the NBA trade market to see what type of offers they can receive for center DeAndre Jordan and a first-round draft pick.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported the news Wednesday and noted Jordan has also been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers if he's ultimately bought out by the Nets.

"I hope the Nets buy him out so he can join the Lakers' AARP squad," an Eastern Conference executive told Scotto. "Better yet, the LAARP. I've never seen a roster like this."

It's been a mostly quiet offseason for Brooklyn, which isn't a surprise since the front office completed an in-season blockbuster for James Harden during the 2020-21 campaign to create the core trio of Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

The Nets signed Durant to a four-year, $194.2 million contract extension, which will begin in 2022-23, and otherwise focused mostly on depth signings with the additions of Patty Mills, DeAndre' Bembry and James Johnson.

It's unclear whether the combination of Jordan and a first-rounder will generate much interest on the trade market, especially since the pick figures to sit very late in the first round with Brooklyn being a high-end championship contender for the foreseeable future.

Shams Charania and Alex Schiffer of The Athletic reported Monday that Jordan and the Nets were "working toward" a potential buyout, though a decision hadn't been finalized.

The Lakers don't make a ton of sense on paper as a possible landing spot for Jordan since they already have Marc Gasol and Dwight Howard on the roster at center.

L.A. was forced to reshape its roster following the acquisition of Russell Westbrook to form its own Big Three with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The deal left the front office with limited financial flexibility, leading to the signing of several veterans on team-friendly contracts.

Carmelo Anthony (37 years old), Trevor Ariza (36), Rajon Rondo (35), Wayne Ellington (33) and Kent Bazemore (32) were among the additions, which is how the AARP jokes started. Kendrick Nunn (26) and Malik Monk (23) were also signed, though.

The Lakers also have 15 players under contract for 2021-22, so signing Jordan would require another roster move before the season gets underway.

Jordan, who averaged 7.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks across 57 games for the Nets last season, would provide Los Angeles with more veteran depth, but he is probably better off looking elsewhere if he wants to land in an impact role.