Embrace the tank: 3 surrender trades the Nets can make to ensure they land Cooper Flagg

The Brooklyn Nets were projected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA this season and are now just outside of the play-in. By no means are the Nets ready to contend for the playoffs, let alone a championship, but they're young and talented and currently overachieving expectations.

A perfect fit for this developing core is the 2025 consensus first overall pick, Cooper Flagg. To get him, however, Brooklyn is going to have to start losing games, and they're going to have to do it fast.

Just two weeks ago, the Nets finalized a trade with the Golden State Warriors to get De'Anthony Melton, who was already ruled out for the rest of the season with an ACL tear before the deal went down, in exchange for veteran point guard Dennis Schroder. That move alone made it evident that the team is not interested in winning games this season, but it still has good players that may win it more games than it wants to. To help avoid that outcome, here are three trades to help embrace the tank and put Brooklyn in a better position to get Flagg.

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3. Bojan Bogdanovic for Cole Anthony and a first-round pick

Bojan Bogdanovic came to the Nets from one of the biggest trades in the offseason, sending the veteran wing and five first-round picks to the New York Knicks in exchange for Mikal Bridges. He has yet to play a game this season due to offseason foot surgery, but he can bring immense value to a playoff contender as some instant offense off the bench. He has a career 15.6 points per game average on .460/.394/.859 shooting splits.

The Orlando Magic have suffered a litany of injuries this season. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner both suffered a right oblique injuries and will miss an extended period of time, while Mo Wagner is lost for the rest of the season with an ACL tear.

Despite the bad breaks, Orlando has still been competitive, entering Saturday in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. But this is a very inexperienced team, and one that desperately needs shooting. The magic also don't have big contracts on the books, meaning they could take on Bogdanovic's $19 million salary without having to match it in a trade.

Cole Anthony has been an important bench piece for the Magic in years past but has regressed this season. Throwing in the team's 2025 first-round pick would make up for his recent poor play, and maybe a change of scenery is exactly what he needs to get his career back on track.

In trading Bogdanovic, could land Brooklyn a few extra picks or salary dump contracts. Even though he has yet to help them win this year, he will when he's healthy, which is why they should get value for his talent now.

2. Dorian Finney-Smith for Marcus Smart and a first-round pick

Dorian Finney-Smith is the perfect NBA player that can fit on any team. He's 6-foot-7, can play multiple positions, can guard multiple positions and has been one of the best shooters in the league this season. He's having a career year from three, shooting 45.2 percent, and playing his usual solid defense.

His value is at an all-time high, and he has gained a significant interest from contending teams like the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies don't need much, but a player like Finney-Smith makes any team in the NBA slightly better. Since he's making just over $14 million, the only tradable piece for the Grizzlies currently making more is Marcus Smart.

Smart brings a veteran presence to Memphis, but he's in the last year of his deal, injury prone and not playing all that well. Adding in that first-round pick will make the deal slightly more fair and just another piece for the Nets going into the offseason.

For the Grizzlies, they'll get Finney-Smith for two seasons and, with Smart gone, can open more playing time for Scottie Pippen Jr. and other guards. Adding Finney-Smith also gives them a more mobile forward and more size on the wings.

1. Cameron Johnson for Dillon Brooks and two first-round picks

Cameron Johnson has been the best player for the Nets this season and is having the best year of his career. He's averaging 19.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists on .492/.429/.888 shooting splits; all of those are career highs, and in the month of December, he's been playing like an All-Star, averaging 23.4 points, 4.8 rebounds 3.1 assists on .500/.443/.877 splits.

His value is at an all-time high, and he could be of interest to a team like the Houston Rockets. The young Rockets are arriving right before our eyes, but they are still one of the worst offenses in the league and one of the worst shooting teams in particular.

Since Dillon Brooks' contract is a match for Johnson's, these teams can do a one-for-one swap, but Houston would have to throw in Phoenix's 2025 first-round pick and a future first. Johnson could make the Rockets the best team in the West while Brooks would make the Nets much worse, which certainly helps in the chase for Flagg.

Johnson has been one of, if not the biggest reason the Nets have overachieved this year. He is one of the best players on the trade market resulting for a high return in both future talent and draft capital. Johnson is the player that Brooklyn must trade if the Nets want to embrace the tank fully.