Trade rumors have swirled around DeMarre Carroll recently. But with the way he’s playing, the Brooklyn Nets should ignore all offers.
When point guard D’Angelo Russell went down with injury back in November, two players took huge strides to keep the Brooklyn Nets above water: Backup point guard Spencer Dinwiddie and veteran forward DeMarre Carroll.
While an argument can be made for Brooklyn trading the former, hanging on to the latter would be wise.
Over the last month, Carroll has averaged 14.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. That includes three double-doubles and an impressive four-steal performance against the Atlanta Hawks.
Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Nets’ forward has attracted trade interest from multiple teams on a playoff push.
“Teams are targeting the availability of Brooklyn’s DeMarre Carroll, Utah’s Alec Burks, Orlando’s Evan Fournier and Atlanta’s Kent Bazemore, among others.”
A look at why his play has earned him a place on this team, and not on the NBA’s trade block.
Rock Beats Paper, Carroll Beats Crabbe
Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks made three trades this past offseason, the acquisition of Carroll included. Of the four new faces he brought in, it was Allen Crabbe who was thought to be preparing for a breakout year.
Through 47 games, the term “breakout season” couldn’t fit any less. Crabbe has been a huge disappointment, providing the Nets with a problem instead of a solution.
His inconsistency as a shooter has become an Achilles’ heel for Brooklyn. After shooting a .444 clip from beyond the arc last year, Crabbe is shooting a near-career-low .363 from three.
When the Nets agreed to take on his salary and make him the highest paid player on the roster, they were trading for a three-point swingman to add a scoring punch to an otherwise poor offense.
Instead, that role has fallen upon Carroll, who after averaging just 8.9 points last year, is averaging 11.7 a night. That includes his career-high-tying 26-point performance night in a win over the Miami Heat.
.@DeMarreCarroll1 (26 points) tied his career-high and recorded his 5th 20-point game of the season! ? pic.twitter.com/BKyO3EDzNa
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) January 20, 2018
As Carroll told Alex Schiffer of the Kansas City Star last week, his outbreak this year is primarily due to his health.
“When I’m healthy I can play the type of basketball I want to play,” he said. “When I’m not, I can’t.”
Crabbe’s shooting slump was a big loss for the Nets, but Carroll’s season has been an even bigger win.
As Russell mounts his comeback and inches back towards becoming a starting guard, expect Crabbe to slide to the bench, while DeMarre maintains his place as starting small forward.
Between all the young stars in this Brooklyn lineup, he’s given head coach Kenny Atkinson room to experiment with many combinations around him.
There’s Always Next Year
As the nickname suggests (copyright pending), DeMarre Wan Kenobi has been twice the player inside the Nets locker room than the one you’ve seen on the court.
That kind of value is irreplaceable on such an inexperienced squad, and he’s certainly settled in Brooklyn.
You could trade him now, and thus end short-lived success for both Carroll and the Nets alike. But why rush?
All signs trend towards Carroll having a more than a positive impact on this team. You can enjoy the fruits of his labor both now and later as the Nets hit learning curves galore.
I like to look at Carroll like training wheels for the younger stars on this team. Russell, Caris LeVert, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson all seem very close and have respect for the veteran forward.
When they’re ready to take on bigger roles, and ride this team on just two wheels, edge Carroll out and put his name in the mix as available.
What I’m saying is this.
After the Nets traded for Carroll, most expected them to be stuck with him for the remainder of his contract (2019). Hell, the Raptors attached a first-round pick to him in the trade to Brooklyn.
He’s exceeded all expectations and can only get better. When and if he does, you cash in on his leadership then and get what you can in return to help a team ready to take on the Eastern Conference chase for playoffs.
But right now, there is no package that could rightfully replace DeMarre Carroll’s value to the Brooklyn Nets.
Teams are going to come calling at the trade deadline, and it would suit Sean Marks to make his summer success unavailable.
