The Brooklyn Nets have acquired Marcus Thornton from the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Jason Terry and Reggie Evans, according to NBA.com's David Aldridge. The Nets have also announced the deal.
Marcus Thornton traded to Nets for Jason Terry and Reggie Evans
The Nets were looking to add some bench help, and they’ve done that in the form of Thornton.
Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
The Nets were looking to improve their bench for the stretch run, and negotiations intensified with the Kings on Tuesday before the deal was ultimately finalized on Wednesday. No picks were involved in the deal.
After averaging double-figure scoring for the past three seasons, Thornton’s production has dropped in 2013-14 as the Kings doled out inconsistent minutes to the shooting guard. he 26-year-old is averaging just 8.3 points on the year and posting career-worst shooting percentages.
Thornton became expendable this offseason when Sacramento used its lottery pick on Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore, who can step into a bigger role on a team that has a lack of depth at the 2-guard position. Thornton's contract runs through the 2014-15 season, and he's being paid $8.1 million this season with a salary bump that will pay him $8.6 million next year.
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Nevertheless, Thornton upgrades the Nets’ bench. The five-year guard may be having a rough season, but during his time with the Kings, he did show an ability to score in volume when given the opportunity. Terry has dealt with injuries this year and has been bad when he has played, while Evans has also contributed very little.
Brooklyn does add nearly $3 million in luxury tax payments with this deal, but at this point, that's a small amount in the grand scheme of things. The Nets may not even be done adding salary, as Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reports they're progressing on adding Los Angeles Lakers forward Jordan Hill with their Disabled Player Exception.
Wojnarowski, as well as ESPN’s Marc Stein and Ohm Youngmisuk, both reported the Nets and Kings were on the verge of a deal.
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